A few small plot twists
by JChase
Summary: LOTS of Charming family interaction. Neal stays with Emma for another 5 years but their life is not as perfect as they thought it would be and Emma heads to Storybrooke a few years earlier than planned. Swanthief/Swanfire. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this story came from my desperation for more Swanthief/Swanfire fics. I can't seem to find many on here and I don't know why! This one is pretty different so please bear with me!**

**To those of you awesome people who are following my other story 'Catching Up', I'm really sorry I haven't updated lately! I'm experiencing a bit of a writer's block and I get really distracted, so instead of writing my school assignment, like I'm supposed to be doing, I'm writing Catching Up. And instead of writing Catching Up, which I'm also supposed to be doing, I'm writing this story!**

**Okay, sorry about the ramble - this goes out to any other Swanfire shippers and is set after 'Tallahassee" as if Neal has met August and gone back to Emma regardless.**

** Sidenote: Neal won't be in the whole story (like the title indicates there are plot twists!) Enjoy:**

"Babe what's wrong?" Emma asked, concerned. "The watches...?"

"I couldn't get the money for them. Someone was following me. But don't panic, I know a guy that can help us who lives about an hour away."

"Someone was following you? Neal! What happened? Did you know them?"

"Emma, don't worry about it. Everything's fine."

"Okay, you know I can tell that you're lying. What happened?" She demanded.

"Not now Em. Please. Let's just go get these watches sold. Then we can finally settle down. Buy that apartment we want," he mentioned enticingly. "You know, I think I want our future house to be blue."

She had to smile at Neal's blatant attempt to change the subject and couldn't resist replying, "No house of mine will be entirely blue. How about white with blue trim?"

"Okay," Neal chuckled, "I'm sure there'll be plenty of those going cheap in Tallahassee."

"Well we might have to wait awhile and start saving up to get it. As in with money from actual jobs now that we are upstanding, respectable citizens." Emma said with a slight smirk.

"That will definitely take some getting used to. We're not quite there yet, though, we still have to fleece the watches."

"Yeah, right. Remind me how again?"

"I told you," he said, flashing her a grin, "I've got a guy. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Neal." Emma said seriously, "And however long it takes us to get our house will be worth the wait."

"You bet it will," he replied softly before bending to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Let's go start our new life."

x

Neal's 'guy' turned out to be a thirty-year-old man missing three of his front teeth and living in a tiny apartment with his cat.

He greeted Neal with a surprised grunt. "Didn't think you were still alive Cassidy."

Emma glanced at Neal curiously but he just shrugged it off. "Yeah, I took off when the cops showed up at Milton's. I watched to make sure the others made it out, though. Everyone except Ryan did, and when I went to bust him out he'd already escaped. He always was the best at picking locks."

"That he was. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?"

"I need a favour," said Neal uncomfortably.

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, well, well, the infamous Neal Cassidy asking for a favour. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Alright I get it," Neal said bitterly, "You won't help." He turned away, tugging Emma's hand gently.

"I never said that. Just want you to acknowledge that it's okay to ask for a hand once in a while." The man gave Emma a quick wink and leaned in to announce in a loud stage whisper, "Neal here never accepted help from anyone when we were a bit younger. Said making deals and asking for favours only led to heartbreak."

"Yeah, well, things are a bit different now." Neal countered defensively.

"I'll bet. Now you've got someone you love to think of, eh?" He smirked at Neal's involuntary glance at Emma. "That's what I thought."

"Okay, you were right. Sometimes deals are necessary," Neal managed to spit out through gritted teeth, "Like right now for example. We need help, Paul. I need you to get in touch with a few of your black market pals."

"I'll see what I can do."

x

**4 years later**

"Mama, I want to help!" Her three-year-old son grinned up at her from the kitchen floor.

"Sure thing, kid. How about you test the sauce for me?"

She laughed as he nodded so hard he almost toppled over. Emma dipped a spoon in the spaghetti sauce and let it cool for a minute before handing it to Henry. The pasta started boiling over and she quickly grabbed the lid off and turned down the heat. Emma hating cooking, with a passion. She would've been perfectly content to eat takeaway for the rest of her life if Neal hadn't convinced her that Henry should have better food.

Emma turned around to discover Henry grinning cheekily at her, his face covered in spaghetti sauce.

"I only gave you a spoonful!" Emma laughed, "How did you manage to get that much all over you?"

Henry gave her an impish look, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Come here, mister. We'd better get that off."

She'd wiped about half of it off when they heard keys rattling at the front door.

"Daddy!" Henry squealed in excitement, squirming to get free. Giving up on getting the sauce off, Emma let him go and turned back to the pasta.

Henry's feet pattered quickly out of the room.

"Hey buddy!" She heard Neal greet from the hallway. "Whoa, what happened to you?"

"Mama's making dinner!"

"Ah," came Neal's amused voice, "That explains it."

"Hey!" Emma protested loudly, "I don't normally have spaghetti bolognese smeared all over our son, thank you very much."

"You're right," Neal grinned at her, coming into the kitchen with Henry in his arms. "Normally it's mashed potato." He gave his son a playful poke and Henry giggled uncontrollably.

Emma couldn't help but smile at her boys.

x

After the meal Emma picked up Henry, who had gotten more dinner on him than in him, and they settled down in the lounge room after changing Henry into pyjamas. Neal made their hot chocolates.

"So what did you get up to today little man?" He asked Henry as he moved to sit next to them on the lounge. Henry smiled up at him and babbled, "Mama took me to a house shop!"

"A house shop?" Neal looked utterly bemused and Emma had to laugh. She decided to help him out.

"He means a yard sale."

"Oh, a yard sale! Did you get anything good?"

Henry nodded vigorously and beamed at his father before wriggling out from between his parents and scampering off to his room. He returned a minute later and placed a small book in Neal's lap. He crawled up beside Emma again and looked expectantly at his dad.

Neal flipped over the book and Emma heard him give a slight groan.

"Peter Pan? Are you sure there isn't anything else you want me to read?"

"Please daddy?" Henry begged.

Neal gave Emma a faux glare. "This is all your fault. Your son is too adorable to turn down."

"Don't blame me Cassidy, that grin is all yours. Besides, what have you got against Peter Pan? Sure, Tinkerbell is a piece of work, but I love the lost boys."

"Of course you do," Neal teased, "You practically are one."

"Not to mention I fell in love with one."

"Yes you did," he replied, and Emma couldn't quite catch the emotion behind his words. Was it guilt, melancholy, anger? She wasn't sure. Emma shook herself. Why would Neal have any of those feelings? She must have imagined it, he probably just needed to sneeze or something.

"Okay buddy, it's your lucky day." Neal told Henry.

Henry squealed with excitement and settled himself on Emma's lap. Emma was sure he'd be asleep before Neal had finished the first chapter, and to her amusement his eyes soon began to close, only to suddenly reopen. After about the sixth time his eyes stayed shut and Neal quietly closed the book. Emma picked him up gently and carried him to his bed with Neal trailing close behind her, where she tucked him in.

She gave him a kiss and moved to let Neal place the book on the small beside table. She watched as he pulled Henry's blankets up to his chin and smiled when she saw Henry's sleepy eyes watching him.

"I wasn't 'sleep daddy," Henry yawned, and Neal smiled at him adoringly.

"Of course you weren't, buddy. But it's bedtime now so we'll read some more tomorrow." He gently placed a hand on his son's small head, and gave his silky hair a slight rumple. "I love you."

"Love you too. Night mommy."

"Night, kid," Emma said warmly, giving him another kiss, "Sleep tight."

**Okay let me know what you think! I know it's a bit boring at the moment but the story starts to get a bit more interesting next chapter! Feel free to ask me questions you have about absolutely anything, and I would really appreciate reviews :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone :) First of all I'd just like to thank those who followed / favourited the story, it means a lot to me! To those lovely people who reviewed, especially, a huge thank you. Reviews really make my day, I love getting feedback!**

**I know this chapter is super long but I wanted to give you guys as much as possible as soon as I could. I also think that this story seems a bit rushed, but I guarantee you it will slow down after the next few chapters. **

**I'm sorry fellow Swanfire shippers for this chapter, but it had to be done. (One of the reasons it was done so quick - it was like ripping off a bandaid). Don't despair though, guys, I have plenty of family fluff planned ahead, especially the Charming family pre-curse, which I've never explored before.**

**Also, I really don't like swearing but I've used the f-word in here, just this once. I tried replacing it and leaving it out, but the line just wasn't the same. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT. **

"Em, you should quit. You're working too hard." Neal sat her down on the couch and handed her a bowl of soup.

"Neal you know I can't. We're barely making rent each month with both our jobs, we have hardly anything saved, and Henry will be starting school in a year or two."

"They treat you like crap, Em. You shouldn't have to deal with that," he said angrily. "We'll manage if you want to leave. I think you should."

She met his eyes, stormy with anger, and gave him a small, sad smile. "Thank you. Really. I love you so much for this but I can't leave. I can't do that to Henry. I don't even mind working an extra shift or two," she lied.

Neal sighed. "I hate this. I hate that I can't earn enough to provide for you both. If I could just –"

"No," Emma interjected firmly. "We have a son. A son who will be devastated if his father ends up in jail. We gave up that life, Neal."

"I know," he replied, collapsing into the seat next to her, "It's just difficult seeing you struggle and knowing that I'm not able to save you."

"Hey," she said reassuringly, slipping her hand onto his. "I don't need saving."

At that the corners of Neal's mouth twitched up.

"I forgot that you're the hero in our story."

"Damn right I am. Which makes you my lowly sidekick. So you have to agree with me at all times and do whatever I tell you to. And I'm telling you to stop worrying about whether or not I like my job. And also to do the dishes. "

He laughed at that. "I think you're confusing the word 'sidekick' and 'slave'."

x

Emma sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by bills. After the electricity, gas, water, and rent were paid they were left with a measly three hundred dollars. They still had to pay for a new work uniform for Emma, the old one had worn out and the boss refused to let her work until she bought a new uniform, plus the month's groceries. Not to mention the cost of the Bug.

She was so sure when they had stolen the watches before Henry was born that $20,000 would be enough to last years. But they'd had to change their identities, and becoming 'Neal and Emma Pariter' had cost them $6,000 each. Then the rent on the tiny house they were living in had slowly gone up each year so that, even with both of them working, they had barely anything saved up.

She sighed deeply and laid her head on her arms despairingly. Looked like they weren't getting their dream house anytime soon.

"Mama?" she heard Henry's worried voice asking shakily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, kid." Emma said with a fake smile she couldn't keep on. She quickly composed herself.

'Where's daddy?" Henry wondered as her climbed onto her lap.

"He had to work late. He said he'd make it up to you and read you two chapters from your story tomorrow. Okay?"

Henry just nodded.

"Okay then." Emma stroked Henry's hair lovingly. "We'll be alright kid. We've got each other and your dad, and that's all that really matters."

He rested his head against her shoulder and she placed a soft kiss on his temple. As he wriggled in her arms she couldn't help but sigh. She had meant every word she told him but she also knew that her top priority was protecting her son at all costs. Even if it meant she had to work three jobs she would gladly take the chance to give Henry the best life he could get.

x

Neal was giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Come on, Em! Please?"

"I don't like leaving Henry."

Neal nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know, me neither. But he has to get away from us occasionally. Besides, he's in good hands with Julie."

Julie had a boy about Henry's age named Josh. She and Emma had met at a mother's group which Neal had convinced her to attend when Henry was a few months old. Unfortunately, most of the mother's at the meeting were in their late 20's and early 30's, and Emma, being only 18 at the time, had felt as though the older women were judging her. Only Julie had made her feel comfortable, and when the others continued to drop snide remarks as the day went on she had stormed out alongside Emma. Needless to say Emma had never gone to another meeting, but had kept in touch with Julie and occasionally organised play dates for their boys.

"Emma. You know Julie and her husband are moving to London soon. This could be the last time Josh and Henry get a chance to see each other, do you really want them never getting to say goodbye? Besides," he added, "We haven't been out in months!"

"That's not true! We went out to dinner a few weeks ago and Jules took Henry, remember?"

Neal sighed. "But we haven't been _dancing_ in years."

"You know I don't dance! In fact, if I remember correctly you're terrible at dancing," she teased.

Neal grimaced in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I was once considered a superb dancer."

"By who?" Emma asked incredulously.

"A lot of people. Granted they were all drunk at the time, but you get the point."

Emma laughed and briefly felt a weight lift off her chest. She let out a sigh and gave in. After all, she was just as desperate as he was for a break from the stress.

"Alright," she conceded, "We'd better go get dressed."

x

She regretted it the next morning. She woke up to a splitting headache and within minutes was in the bathroom retching into the toilet. Neal was sitting on the floor looking haggard but not ill.

"Where's Henry?" she slurred.

Neal stood up and stretched, "In his room. I was very responsible. I only gave him a few bourbons. Kid's a real lightweight," he joked with a slight grin.

"Just like his parents, I guess. Since when did we get hangovers just from drinking until 11?" Emma gave a groan and laid her forehead on the bathroom tiles, before retching into the toilet again.

"Since we came to Tallahassee, I believe. We did have some pretty powerful stuff, and we haven't drunk anything strong in 4 years."

Emma glared at him. "I had barely anything. You were the one going crazy on the drinks. How come you're not as bad as me?"

Emma felt a wave of sickness hit her and she leant over the toilet bowl. Neal pulled her hair back sympathetically.

"Because I have to work, so I'm willing myself to be okay. Will you be alright with Henry today?"

Emma nodded. "I should be good once this passes."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you like this."

Emma rolled her eyes and all but pushed him out the door. She could handle a hangover.

x

The next few weeks flew by. Emma caught a stomach bug and for two weeks found herself spending more and more time running to the bathroom, meaning she had to take time off work. She knew they could barely afford it and went back as soon as she could, but they had already lost a lot of their savings. She also noticed that Neal was acting strangely. He would take phone calls and hang up looking as pale as a ghost. When she asked what was wrong he made jokes to avoid talking about it, and she grew increasingly concerned.

After about a week of this he came home from work and sat her down, making sure Henry wasn't in earshot.

"I lost my job, Em."

Emma could barely breathe. They were struggling enough as it was.

"What? When?" she breathed.

"Today. They thought I'd been stealing from the office."

"And had you?" Emma asked warily.

"No!" Neal answered, appalled. "I would have told you!"

Emma sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do Neal. It was a miracle you got that job in the first place! No one will be willing to hire you now. Not without any recommendations and your previous workplace telling everyone you've embezzled from them!"

"I know, I don't know what's going to happen. I'm so sorry Em." He slumped into a chair and held his head in his hands.

He looked so heartbroken, so convinced her had let her and Henry down that Emma immediately went over and kissed him.

"Neal," she said gently, "We'll be okay." When he met her comment with silence she attempted to lighten the mood a bit by teasing him. "It's a shame we're such misfits we don't have any family to help us, hey?"

Instead of giving her his signature grin, as she expected, he looked at her with haunted eyes. It seemed as if he was on the verge of saying something, but he just shook his head slightly and went to play with Henry.

She watched them for a while, and after a few minutes she realised she was crying. When Neal noticed he came over and wrapped his arms around her so she could sob into his chest. He rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I love you Em."

x

It had been three weeks since Neal was fired and every day he'd been out from 5 in the morning and hadn't returned until about 11. Emma could see him getting increasingly frustrated at his lack of job offers and she had started to worry about how desperate he seemed. She'd never seen this side of him, normally Neal was the cool, calm one; it was as though he felt he was running out of time.

"Mama I made you a picture!" Henry interrupted her thoughts and beamed proudly at her.

Emma smiled at the look on Henry's face and told him the picture was lovely before clearing away the plates from their dinner. She heard Neal's keys at the door and her heart jumped into her throat. Something was up – it was only six thirty, why would he be home yet? He couldn't have got a job, nobody had even given him an interview yet.

As soon as he walked in Emma knew something terrible was about to happen. Neal could barely even meet her eyes, and she could see from the tightness of his mouth that he was trying not to cry. Neal never cried.

"Babe?" she asked, almost fearfully, "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving," he said huskily, moving past her and into the bedroom.

Emma's blood ran cold. What did he mean leaving? Leaving her? She should have seen it coming, she always abandoned eventually. But Neal leaving _Henry?_ She never, _ever_, thought that would happen.

"What are you talking about Neal?" she said, containing her panic as she watched him pull clothes from the drawer. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a chance. Nobody's hiring me, Emma. Nobody wants a thief and a liar working for them. Not a _single fucking person_ is willing to give me a chance. Not one."

"So you – what? Think leaving us will make life easier? Think it's going to be different somewhere else?" Emma accused angrily.

"No! Look I don't expect you to understand - "

"WELL THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I DON'T! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON NEAL?"

"Emma I'm so sorry. I love you." He said, trying to squash the things in his suitcase down.

"No. You do NOT get to tell me that you love me as you walk away. What are you doing? Do you know how much this will kill Henry?"

Neal faltered, his hand on the suitcase zipper, before he set his jaw in determination.

"I wish my father had the guts to leave before I remembered him. It would have made him abandoning me a lot less painful. Henry will be better off without me. And so will you Emma."

He pulled the suitcase off the bed and, unable to look her in the eye, brushed past her. He stopped dead in the hallway when he saw Henry, who was clearly terrified by his parents arguing and pressing himself against the wall.

Neal knelt down so that he was eye-level with his son and said seriously. "Henry, I have to go now but I don't want you to ever forget how much I love you. More than anything in the whole world, Henry. I need you to look after your mom for me. Do you understand? I know you're going to take good care of each other. Everything will be alright, you'll see. I love you so much and I hope you'll forgive me one day." He pulled Henry into a tight hug and Henry clung on for dear life. Neal let him go and took out a small gold compass from his pocket. "I want you to have this so that you'll always know how to find what you need." He handed it to Henry, who immediately clutched it to his chest. "Don't forget about me buddy," Neal said, voice cracking with emotion.

He stood up and Emma couldn't make a sound. He was serious. He truly was leaving.

As he reached the door she found her voice and managed a whispered, broken little "Why?"

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned back to look at her. "Because I want you both to have your best chance. And it's not with me."

And then he left.

**What do you think? Any questions? The next chapter I'm planning to be a tiny one based entirely on Neal and his reasons for leaving, and should be up really soon. PLEASE review, I'm desperate to know what you guys think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys are the BEST! Thank you so much for all your reviews, you're all lovely. Thanks to those who follow and favourite the story, your support is the reason I'm so enthusiastic about writing, and every time I get an e-mail notification because of follows, favourites, or reviews I pretty much can't stop grinning. It seriously encourages me to get chapters up that much quicker.**

**So here's the tiny chapter, as promised. It will be the last we hear of Neal in a while. **

**Vienna98 - I have their meeting all planned out, and I will write it as soon as I can. Should be up in the next two chapters :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once.**

Neal drove for hours. He had no idea where he was headed and flashes of past conversations haunted him all through the night.

August's sudden reappearance three weeks ago had been a huge shock to him. Then to lose his job, for allegedly stealing! How ironic that after years of theft and never getting caught, the one time he had actually done nothing he was fired.

_"Nice to see you, Neal."_

_"What are you doing here August?"_

_"I let you have your time Neal, almost 5 years, and you've stuffed it up. You guys are barely able to afford paying rent each month, let alone bills and other expenses. You're decades off ever owning your own house."_

"We get by."

_"Maybe, but what happens when Henry starts school? He'll be bullied for his poor clothes, and where he lives. I have thirty grand waiting for them, Neal. If you leave."_

_August had pulled out a suitcase and opened it briefly to reveal wads of cash. Neal had shaken his head after a long moment of silence._

_"I was happy as a kid when my father and I were poor and family was all we had."_

_"Maybe so, but is that enough for Henry? Don't you want him to have the best education possible? Do you really want to keep Emma from meeting her parents? From allowing her to see that she has been loved her whole life?"_

_That had hit a chord with Neal. He wanted more than almost anything else for Emma to realise how much she was worth, and how much she was cared for._

_"And it's not like Henry won't grow up without a family. He'll have his mother. He'll have grandparents! And you will meet again Neal. Another 5 or so years and the curse will be broken, your family reunited, and a whole town full of people saved."_

_Neal had taken a deep breath, but stayed silent. _

_"Here," August had said, pulling out a map, "I'll even circle whereabouts it is that they'll be when the curse breaks. That way you can go straight there once it happens. I'll send you a postcard so you know when it's time."_

_Neal had shoved the map into his coat pocket without even glancing at it. "I can't leave them." He had said._

_August gave him a disgusted look. "Then you're a selfish coward that doesn't care about what's best for his family."_

Neal was jolted back to the present. He was pulled over on the side of the road and he knew he couldn't stay there with his stolen car. He couldn't bear to take the Bug away from Emma, so the first thing he had done was forsaken Neal Pariter, reverted to the old Neal Cassidy and hotwired a car.

He quickly got himself together and started driving again.

_"I'll give you three weeks, Neal. You leave by then and they'll get the thirty grand. That's enough to support Henry through a good school and Emma into a job she actually likes. I'll make sure she finds her family and I'll contact you when the curse is broken. I swear it. Like I said, you've got almost a month to decide."_

_The next week Neal had been fired. He was running out of time._

Neal stopped outside a rundown motel. He couldn't afford to pay for a room but the car wouldn't look out of place here. He had no idea what to do next. He needed to go somewhere new. Somewhere he could lose himself. He would have to start up with no money once again, but now no one was relying on him he could steal until he had enough to support himself. Or until he landed himself in jail, whichever came first.

He saw Henry's tiny face in his mind and his heart broke. He was leaving his son, something he'd sworn never to do. But he was doing it to give Henry his best chance. To have a good education and a proper family. Who could Neal trust more, to make sure that Henry and Emma were loved and looked after, than Snow White and Prince Charming? And if the price of a good life was that Neal would have to live without them, how could he be selfish enough to stay, and keep them with him? They both deserved so much more than a petty ex-thief who couldn't support them.

Neal leant his head against the cool glass of the window, attempting to forget the look of pain and betrayal on Emma's face which was branded into his mind.

_"I'm leaving."_

_He had planned to say so much more to her but he couldn't get the words out. He hadn't been able to look at her, or else he knew his will would have crumbled away to dust._

_He had packed his things and run out like a coward, without even an explanation to the two people he loved most in this world or any others, knowing that if he stopped for a second he wouldn't be able to leave them. And they needed him to leave so that they could have a life they deserved._

**So there it is, pretty similar to the show, I know. In Neal's eyes Henry and Emma deserve so much better than him, and even though it almost kills him, he leaves so that August will support them. Also keep in mind that he is convinced that they will be well looked after, Emma would know her family always loved her, have a job she liked, and a town full of people would be rescued. All big priorities in his mind over his own happiness. Also August's comment about him being a "selfish coward" really got to him. One of his biggest fears is turning into a man like his father.**

**The next chapter will also be pretty small I think, so I will get it up soon.**

**Let me know what you thought!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys for reviewing, following and/or favouriting the story! Seriously, it means so much to me :)Another short chapter here but I have the next one almost finished and it's my favourite so far. I hope you guys like this, I know some of you saw this one coming!**

It had been a week since Neal left. Emma had taken up a second job that allowed her to work from 3pm – 11pm each weeknight waitressing. She left Henry with three highschool girls that took turns babysitting him both during the week and on the weekend when she worked her other job from 6am – 8pm. She had worked it out so the girls were getting rewarded, but she couldn't afford to pay them well. They were nice enough to babysit him because they knew Emma needed the money, and also, they told Emma, because Henry was such a sweetheart. She was even more grateful for his sunny disposition then usual when she heard that.

"EMMA! GET TO BACK TO WORK!"

Emma hurriedly picked up the stack of plates in front of her, glancing at the clock. Only another three hours to go.

x

"Thanks Kelly," she said handing the girl some money. "I hope you got all your homework done."

"Yeah, thanks Mrs Pariter."

Emma gave her a look and Kelly quickly amended, "I mean Emma. Henry's sleeping, he crashed about 9. I'll see you on Friday!"

"See you then," Emma smiled warmly at her. Once Kelly had left she went to check on Henry, holding back her disappointment that she could only tuck him in on weekends now. Still, she was doing what was best for him since Neal had left.

She felt herself struggling to breathe as she thought of Neal. Why had he deserted them? How could he possibly have thought that his leaving Henry without a father and Emma abandoned again beneficial to them? The only thing she could think of was that Neal had been a coward that never really cared for her. That stung like hell. The only person she'd ever been truly sure would never leave her had walked out of her live as if she meant nothing. And what did he hope to gain by telling them he loved them? What the hell did that mean? All that crap about giving them their best chance? Their best chance had been with him.

She was so unbelievably angry with him. And then there was the map. The map the Neal hadn't noticed had fallen out of his pocket when he gave the damn compass to Henry – the same compass the boy slept with clutched in his hand every night. The map that Emma had picked up later, after she and Henry, who didn't really know what was going on but was scared out of his mind, had cried themselves through the night. The map with Storybrooke, Maine circled on it. What the hell? Was that where Neal was headed? Was that some sort of signal she should follow him? Did she want to follow him?

Emma took a breath and decided to ignore the map for now. After all, Neal had left them and as much as she desperately wished there was an explanation, she couldn't think of anything. She didn't know if she could ever forgive him.

x

August felt almost sorry for Neal. He was only trying to do what was best for his family. The plan was to persuade him to leave and then give Emma the money. But Emma didn't really need money, August was convinced. She needed the support of her family. Of course, August had absolutely no idea how to get her to move to Storybrooke, but didn't the curse say Emma would find her own way there?

And there was a lot of money… August had managed to get his hand on it by manipulating a rich old lady into thinking he was homeless and needed the money to start a new life, which was sort of true.

Surely Emma would be fine on her own? She would find her way back to her parents. _Like I'll never have the chance to do, _August thought bitterly. As if his father would want him now. He had already failed by not protecting Emma. There wasn't much else he could do. Maybe he'd be better off getting away. Doing what he told the old lady he would, and starting a new life. He'd always wanted to go to Phuket.

He felt mildly guilty at breaking his promise to Neal, but he told himself that he'd return when Emma was 28 and send Neal a postcard. By then Emma would have done what she was supposed to do and she'd be with her family, so all August had to do was let Neal know and his deal wouldn't be broken. He wouldn't have lied. Not really.

x

Emma was perched on the toilet seat in the restaurant where she worked. Her break was almost over and she was waiting fearfully. With a deep breath she turned over the item in her hands and involuntarily let out a small sob. Two pink lines. She was pregnant. Just perfect.

How was she going to tell Henry? How was she going to support two children when she could barely support one? How could she keep Neal's child? Henry was different; she loved him on his own merits, not because he was Neal's son. But this child… surely all Emma would be able to see when she looked at this kid was the man who abandoned herself and their son. And their second child. Emma let out another cry before composing herself. She would be strong for Henry. And for this baby, regardless of whether she was keeping it or not. Her break was up. She needed to get back to work.

**I know it's tiny but the next chapter will make up for it. Like I said, the next one is huge and also my favourite chapter so far. Plus we finally get to meet Mary Margaret! **

**As always let me know what your thoughts are, I love hearing from you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A huge thank you to every single person who favourited and/or followed, and thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed. I'm glad you guys like it :) Alright so here's the next chapter, this is my favourite so far. I considered splitting it in two but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for Emma to meet Mary Margaret! There is a bit of a time skip and Emma is now almost 8 months into the pregnancy. Enjoy :)**

**Edit: 12/5/13**

Emma woke suddenly, choking, her hands unconsciously jumping to her swollen belly. She realised with horror that her whole room was full of smoke. Coughing so hard that she was shaking, Emma forced herself up and covered her mouth with her shirt. She had been so exhausted the night before she had collapsed into bed fully clothed.

_Henry, _she thought desperately. She had a duffel bag she always kept packed under the bed, a habit from her life on the run that she hadn't been able to break, but she abandoned it in order to reach Henry as quickly as possible. She ran to the far end of the room and wrenched the door open. Staggering out into the hallway she could see flames leaping towards her from the kitchen, almost at Henry's bedroom door.

She pulled herself along the hallway, leaning heavily against the wall, until she reached Henry's room. As quickly as she could she ripped the door open and stumbled inside. She could hear his frantic coughing and made her way towards him, following his choking sobs.

"_Henry!_" she called, inhaling a lungful of smoke. "_I'm here!_"

She found him huddled over in the corner, tears streaming down his small face.

"I dropped it!" he cried, and Emma didn't stop to figure out what he meant. Instead she leant down and covered his mouth with his pyjama top in an attempt to filter the smoke. She grabbed his hand, she couldn't pick him up with her pregnant stomach, and headed towards the door. After a second she dropped to a crawl and told Henry to go in front of her, also crawling. She told him to head towards the lounge room and followed close behind him. It was their best bet, she reckoned. It was close to the front door, and hopefully they would be able to avoid the fire that way. They were at Henry's door when he stopped suddenly. Emma's heart jumped into her throat and she called out to him, telling him again to crawl towards the lounge room.

Without warning he turned and started crawling, but to Emma's horror she saw he was crawling _the wrong way_. Henry was moving towards Emma's bedroom, the furthest thing from the front door! With a cry she followed him. Her swollen stomach slowed her down so she couldn't reach Henry to take him back. When Emma caught up to him he was banging on her bedroom window. The window, of course! With a shout at Henry to step back she grabbed the lamp on her beside table and threw it as hard as she could at the window, where it sailed straight through and into the small yard beyond, leaving a reasonably sized hole. She pushed out the rest of the glass and hoisted Henry through, where he toppled onto the grass.

Emma was about to follow when she remembered the duffel bag. She grabbed it and shoved it out the window before pulling herself through.

They both lay gasping on the grass for a minute, taking deep breaths of fresh air, and retching into the grass. After they had finished throwing up Emma grabbed Henry and her bag and ran towards the Bug, which was parked on the curb a few doors down.

She threw the duffel bag in the back and strapped Henry in. She could already hear sirens, see people start to open doors and come out in their dressing gowns. Emma didn't want attention so she drove to the end of the street, where she pulled over. She could see the front door had completely collapsed, and realised with a jolt that if Henry had gone the way she told him they would probably still be trapped.

She knew the landlords would force her to pay for the damages, she vaguely remembered leaving the oven on, and once they realised she couldn't afford it they would take Henry away. She felt a stab of panic in her gut and forced herself to remain calm. They knew her as Emma Pariter, she could go back to being Emma Swan and no one would find her. She could start over in a life with Henry and organise for the baby to be adopted into a family that could afford it.

She gently stroked her stomach and turned around to hold a terrified Henry's hand. "Hey," she said soothingly to comfort the boy as he started to sob, "We'll be okay kid. I promise." She knew she could promise no such thing, but her heart broke with each of Henry's cries. Then they sat, throats still burning from the smoke, and watched out the rear window as their old life literally went up in flames.

x

"Henry can I ask you a question?" Emma said, glancing at him through the rear view mirror.

It was the middle of the next day. Henry had fallen asleep during the ride and had only woken a few hours ago.

"Yeah mama?"

"Why did you lead us back to my room?"

Henry shrugged. "Daddy's compass told me to."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked anxiously.

"When I woke up I was really scared and when I got out of bed my compass fell on the floor and I kicked it away on accident," Henry babbled. Emma remembered his distressed "I dropped it" comment when she had found him. Of course that had been what he was referring to, he never went anywhere without that compass; it was the only link he had to his father.

"Okay, so what happened then?"

"I saw it when I was at the door and I picked it up and it pointed towards your room mama, so I followed it. It's magic." He added matter-of-factly.

Emma didn't have the heart to tell him that the compass was just pointing North.

x

They pulled over at a small diner in Virginia for lunch. Emma rummaged through the duffel bag to see what she had packed, hoping there would be some clothes for Henry, who was still in his pyjamas. Unfortunately Emma hadn't changed the bag much in the four years they'd lived there, as she had only really thought they might need it in the first few months after Henry was born. Once she had realised that they weren't going to be found out she had shoved it under her bed and forgotten about it, so they couldn't use a lot of things. She had, however, taken all of Henry's baby clothes out and replaced them with bigger ones about two years ago.

'Great,' Emma thought sarcastically, 'not only do I have clothes that are made for a two year old to fit my four year old, I also have no clothes for the baby when it's born.' She reminded herself that it wouldn't matter, whoever came to take the baby to its new home would clothe it. Emma groaned as she realised that she had not planned on being pregnant either, so all she had was a pair of jeans, a shirt, and her red leather jacket, none of which would fit her in her current condition. She supposed that she could get by with the clothes she had on for while.

At the very bottom of the bag Emma noticed her baby blanket. She took it out and held it close, relieved. She had forgotten that this was where she'd put it and had been devastated at the thought that it had burnt to a crisp at the bottom of her cupboard or somewhere similar.

The only other things in the bag was an old shirt of Neal's, which she supposed she could wear if she got desperate, and a few photos. Emma felt the dull ache she carried with her since Neal had left turn into a sharper pain as she gazed at the first photo.

Emma had taken it a few years ago. Neal held a two year old Henry on his hip, and was grinning crookedly at the camera while Henry smiled delightedly, his head resting on Neal's shoulder.

It was all Emma could do not to cry as she looked through the other photos.

Neal holding a newborn Henry in his arms, looking like the proudest dad in the world as he held his sleeping son.

Emma and Neal asleep on the couch with her head resting on his chest, photo taken by Julie when she came over and discovered them crashed out, utterly exhausted.

Toddler Henry wrapped in a towel and looking sheepishly at his mother, both of whom were drenched in bath water.

And the last photo, a rare one of the three of them. Emma was facing the camera, laughing at the boys' antics. Neal was piggy backing a euphoric Henry, who was grinning goofily at the camera over his dad's shoulder, and Neal was gazing at Emma with such obvious love and adoration that Emma's breathing hitched looking at it.

She quickly put the photos away before she could burst into tears.

x

Emma soon discovered that the clothes meant for Henry were only slightly too small. She had had the foresight to pack them for a three year old, not a two year old, so she was sure they would be fine for a few weeks.

Now they only had to find somewhere to go. With a sigh she remembered the map Neal had dropped and pulled it out while Henry enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich in the diner. She stared at the small, circled town. Was Neal there? Did she want to see Neal again? She told herself she that didn't, that she never wanted to hear from him again, but she couldn't quite crush the small hope that he would be waiting for her. That it was all a misunderstanding, and he really did love her.

She decided that she would go to this Storybrooke place, after all she had nowhere else to go, and if Neal wasn't there then they would keep driving, Emma would give the baby up, and she would abandon the ridiculous fantasy that Neal still loved her.

Once they had finished their lunch they got back in the car.

"Mama, where are we going?" Henry asked curiously.

"To Maine," she told him, "We still have a long way to go, though."

"Oh," was all he said. Then "Will daddy be there?"

Emma hesitated. She decided she would be as honest with him as possible. "I don't think so kid," she answered sadly.

Henry just looked out the window and they were both quiet for the next few hours.

x

Two days later they were driving into Storybrooke, Maine.

Emma was relieved, they had barely any money left – about $50. She pulled over and turned to Henry.

"I'm hungry," Henry said, frowning.

"I know sweetie, we'll go shopping soon." She didn't mention that it would probably be the last time they got the chance in a while. Emma needed to find a way to earn some money. She doubted anyone would give her a job, and besides, if Neal wasn't here she didn't want to settle down, she wanted to move on. So she would have to start stealing again. As much as she didn't want to risk it, or to drag Henry into a life of theft, it wasn't like she had much choice.

She was startled by a sharp rap on the window and almost had a panic attack when she saw the sheriff badge. She told herself to calm down, he couldn't possibly know that she'd been thinking about stealing. She would see what he wanted and get on with it. She rolled down the window with a polite smile plastered onto her face.

"Hey there," the man said with a friendly smile, "Name's Graham, I'm the town sheriff. We don't get many tourists here in Storybrooke, but I think I would know if I'd seen your car before." He laughed.

She laughed with him, more to get him moving along than in actual amusement. "Emma. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He smiled again. "Pleasure to meet you too. If you folks need anything let me know. I'll see you around, Emma." And with a small wave at Henry he strolled off down the street.

"I'm still hungry." Henry reminded her, just as his stomach grumbled loudly. They both laughed.

"Alright kid, let's get you some food."

x

They drove around the town for a while trying to find the grocery store and eventually they stopped outside a small shopping centre. It wasn't much but in a town this size Emma honestly couldn't have said expected more.

She told Henry he could pick something out as a special treat, and the four year old bounced up and down the aisles looking at different chocolates, cakes, and sweets.

Emma made sure to buy items that wouldn't go stale and that she could keep in the car for a long time and still be fine to eat. Mostly it was tinned stuff, long life milk (which Emma thought was revolting but they didn't have a fridge), and things that didn't need to be cooked.

She was looking behind her for Henry, who had disappeared down one of the aisles, so she didn't see the lady until they'd slammed into each other, Emma's shopping spilling out onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" the lady said quickly, "I wasn't looking where I was going! Here let me get that –"

She bent down and started to pick things up.

"It's okay, I wasn't paying attention either," Emma said, crouching down awkwardly with one hand on her swollen belly. "You don't need to help, it's alright."

"No, no, it's the least I can do." The other woman said a bit breathlessly as she gave Emma a friendly smile. She didn't know why but Emma immediately liked her, which was unusual. She had this intense feeling that she could trust her with anything. But that was ridiculous, she'd just met this person.

"I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard." She smiled, her hand extended. Emma took it just as Henry came skipping up to them both. He took one look at the tins lying on the ground and immediately started picking them up.

"Emma Swan," Emma replied, "And this is my son, Henry."

She waited for this Mary Margaret lady to give her The Look. The one that said 'You had a baby at 18' reproachfully, but to her surprise the other woman didn't judge her at all. She just gave Henry a warm smile and said, "It's lovely to meet you both."

Henry gave her a shy smile but didn't hide behind Emma like he normally did when meeting someone new. Mary Margaret offered Emma her hand to help her up and after a moment Emma took it. Henry heaped the items in his arms back in the basket and Mary Margaret handed her the rest.

"So Emma, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you here? We don't get many visitors in Storybrooke."

"Not much," Emma said guardedly. As much as she instinctively liked this woman, she had spent too long closed off from everyone except for Neal and Henry to just open up to an almost complete stranger.

"Emma!" Emma heard a voice call out. She turned as the sheriff walked up to them, a carton of milk in his hands. "Ah, I see you've met our very own Mary Margaret. She teaches 4th grade at the local school."

"Speaking of which I'd better be going, I have a craft project to organise for tomorrow's lesson. It was wonderful meeting you and Henry, Emma, I hope I see you two again." She gave them a genuine smile and picked up her own shopping basket before walking away.

"I'd be happy to show you two around town," Graham offered, "There's not much crime in Storybrooke so I think I can risk taking some time off."

Emma thought about it. The more places she visited the more likely she was to find Neal, if he was here. She took Henry's hand before nodding at Graham. "Sure, why not?"

x

That evening Emma bunkered down in the car with Henry, like they'd been doing for the past few nights. She made him lie across the back seat and passed him her baby blanket, which he decided to cuddle instead of put over himself. Emma sighed, knowing that she'd have to cover him with it once he fell asleep. She then attempted to get comfortable in the drivers seat. Normally she would have slept in the passenger seat but that had the duffel bag and groceries on it, and Emma was too exhausted to move them to the boot. So she curled up awkwardly around the steering wheel, trying to avoid squashing her stomach. She let her head fall back and was just dozing off when a soft tap on the window jerked her awake.

She quickly rolled the window down to reveal Mary Margaret gazing at her anxiously.

"Didn't Graham tell you there was a bed and breakfast just down the road?" she asked, clearly worried about them.

"Ah, no, he must have forgotten, I was just about to go and find him." Emma knew it was a lame excuse. As if Graham would have forgotten to point the newcomers in the direction of a hotel. Not to mention that Emma clearly hadn't been going anywhere.

She watched as Mary Margaret glanced at Henry's sleeping form in the backseat, pyjamas already on. "Why would Henry - ?" She broke off suddenly, her face going pale as she put the pieces together. Henry already in his pyjamas. The few long-life groceries scattered on the front seat. Emma curled up half–asleep in the driver's seat. Her excuse about Graham forgetting the hotel.

"You can't afford a room," she breathed.

"Look, don't worry about Henry. I can take care of him." Emma said harshly. "We're fine."

"Emma," Mary Margaret started, shocked, and Emma could barely breathe for fear, "I don't think–"

"Please." The word was a whisper. Emma couldn't control the terror and desperation she knew must be written all over her face as she pleaded with Mary Margaret. "If anyone knows, they'll take him. And I can't lose him. I can't let him go into the foster system, he's too sweet a kid for that. I can't send him somewhere he'll be abused and neglected like I -" Emma broke off but she already knew she'd given herself away.

She scowled, kicking herself for slipping up, and glared straight ahead through the windshield. "Just let us get some sleep tonight." She said coldly, setting her jaw, "We'll be gone tomorrow morning before you wake up. I promise."

"Oh Emma, no!" the other woman panicked. "Please don't! You can't live out of your car –"

"You think I don't know that?" Emma interrupted, outraged, "You think this is the life I wanted for my son? Living out of a duffle bag? Of course not! But I've done it before and I'll survive it again, _with_ my kid. So can you please just leave us alone tonight?"

"Stay with me."

"What?" Of all the things Emma expected her to respond with this was not one of them.

"Spend the night in my apartment, I have a spare room."

"Look," Emma said uneasily, "I don't know what you want from me but I can't give you anything."

Mary Margaret looked at her sadly. "I don't want anything from you."

"Then why would you offer?"

"Emma, it's freezing tonight! You can't tell me you aren't uncomfortable. You and Henry both deserve somewhere warm to sleep. Please come with me. _Please_." she looked at them with anxious eyes, clearly distressed at the thought of a pregnant 22 year old and her small son sleeping in a car.

Emma glanced back at Henry who was tossing restlessly on the seat, blanket now tangled around him, and sighed.

"Fine. Thanks."

She saw Mary Margaret beam in relief and she wondered why this woman would offer to share her house with a total stranger and her son. Surely she had some reason?

Nobody was that generous.

**Alright everyone I hope you liked it! Please review, let me know what you think. Hearing your feedback really makes my day and you have no idea how much it motivates me to get the next chapter up. Thanks guys :)**

**Next chapter will be much more of Mary Margaret and Emma.**


	6. Chapter 6

**First thing I have to say is you are all super sweet for reviewing, following and favouriting :) Thank you so much!**

**Second of all sorry there was a bit of a wait on this chapter!**

**Thirdly, I made a mistake last chapter: Mary Margaret actually teaches 4th grade not 5th. Sorry guys! Thanks for bringing it to my attention so I could fix it :)**

**Fourth thing is I am REALLY super sorry to those following my other story "Catching up". Next chapter will be up soon!**

**Lastly, the season finale last night practically killed me. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER! Luckily I have you guys to keep me sane :)**

Emma gently shook Henry awake and wrapped him tightly in the blanket. She hated having to wake him but she couldn't carry him. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Come on sweetie, you can go back to sleep soon."

Mary Margaret, who had offered to take Emma's duffle bag, watched them with a small, sad smile. She fell into step beside them as Emma took Henry's hand and locked the car.

"What were you doing out here so late anyway?" Emma asked, clearly suspicious.

"Just picking up a few things my kids will need for their craft project." Mary Margaret answered with a smile. "Like macaroni." She moved the duffle bag so Emma could see the bag of pasta she had clutched in her hand.

Emma noticed Henry beginning to trip over his own feet in exhaustion. She was incredibly relieved that he would finally be sleeping in a proper bed again, the last few days had been hard on him. And on her for that matter. She knew that they were both in desperate need of a good night's sleep, although she doubted she would sleep tonight. Not only was she wary of Mary Margaret's extremely generous offer, she had learnt from experience that there was always a catch when someone did you a favour, but she also doubted that even a real bed would be enough to keep Henry's nightmares at bay.

"Almost there," Mary Margaret assured her, breaking Emma out of her reverie.

Emma couldn't help but trust this woman, as much as she made it appear otherwise, and she had to constantly remind herself that no one does something for nothing. She had no idea what this woman could possibly want but she told herself that it didn't matter because she and Henry were only staying the night. Graham had led them all over the tiny town and Emma hadn't seen a glimpse of Neal. When she asked the friendly sheriff about any other tourists that had visited recently he confided that she was the only one to come to Storybrooke that he could remember for a few years. At that point she had pretty much lost all hope of finding Neal. She had come to the only logical conclusion she could. He truly didn't love her.

They arrived in a small, cozy apartment that was so warm and inviting that Emma had to swallow past the lump in her throat.

Mary Margaret placed their bags on the kitchen bench and moved to show them around.

"I only have the one spare bed," she said apologetically. She moved over to the room adjoining the kitchen and Emma quickly followed with Henry and tucked him in.

"One bed is plenty, trust me." Emma assured her.

Something flashed across Mary Margaret's face but before Emma could identify it the other woman had turned around.

"Bathroom's over there and my room is upstairs." She turned back to Emma with a warm smile. "Just let me know if you need me."

"Okay thanks." Emma watched as she ascended the staircase, before she moved back to Henry. She climbed under the blankets with him and placed a light kiss on her son's forehead. She smiled at his 'dead to the world' expression. That kid could sleep like a log sometimes.

x

Emma woke to hair-raising shrieks. Henry was tossing in the bed, screaming at the top of his lungs, though clearly still asleep. Emma quickly moved over and tried to wake him. His small hands punched her repeatedly as she attempted to rouse him. She called his name and he jerked awake but to her horror the screams didn't stop.

She could hear Mary Margaret rushing down the stairs to them. "Henry it's okay," Emma tried to soothe, but Henry was now sobbing in pure terror. Emma felt as though her heart was being crushed as she watched her little boy fall to pieces. He continued to scream and Emma looked at him in distress. "Henry baby, it's alright, mama's here."

Mary Margaret moved to the other side of the bed and gently took Henry's hands in hers. "Sweetheart you're safe here. Your mom is right here looking out for you." Henry's screaming subsided but choking sobs still racked his body. Emma pulled him into a tight hug and he threw his arms around her neck, crying his heart out.

She gave Mary Margaret a desperate look over Henry's head.

"Can you go get his compass please? It's in the duffle bag."

Mary Margaret hurried to the bag on the counter and quickly rummaged through it. She came back over promptly and handed Emma the compass, which she then passed to Henry. Emma stroked his hair as he cried.

"Do you want to tell me what happened? Was it the fire again?"

Henry nodded his head and buried his face into her shoulder. She could hear his muffled voice, still shaking, as he recounted his nightmare.

"It was different. There was this lady who was all dark and scary and she told me she was going to make everyone all alone so she called people with no faces and they took me away. They locked me in my room when it was on fire and they took my compass. The dark lady said she would make sure you never saw me again." He pulled away from Emma and looked at her with fresh tears falling. "She hurt everyone we met and I couldn't get out of the room and then you came in to save me but the no-face people dragged me away."

Emma placed her hands gently on either side of his face.

"Henry," she said seriously, "No one could ever take you from me. Do you understand? No one. I will _never_ let that happen."

Henry nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I don't want to go back to sleep," he whispered. Emma sighed and nodded at him. She was about to say something else when Mary Margaret spoke.

"Well if we're going to stay up we should have some hot chocolate. What do you think, Henry?" She gave him a small smile. Henry sniffed and said, "Yes please."

Emma got up and followed Mary Margaret to the kitchen after making sure that Henry was fine where he was. He had calmed down considerably, although he was still taking deep, shuddering breaths, and was now playing with his compass.

"You don't have to do this you know."

Emma sat down at a stool and directed her words to Mary Margaret, who was bustling around the small kitchen.

"Do what?" she asked absent-mindedly.

"Stay up. You can go back to sleep. I know you probably have to work in the morning and you didn't sign up to spending the whole night taking care of a traumatised kid and his mother. Don't feel obligated or anything."

For a moment Mary Margaret stared at her in shock. "Emma," she said, very obviously taken aback, "I _want_ to stay with you two. I _want_ to make sure you're both okay. Besides," she said cracking a weak smile, "Any excuse for a hot chocolate."

Emma rolled her eyes at Mary Margaret's lame attempt at lightening the mood but she couldn't stop herself from smiling slightly. She could tell Mary Margaret had truly meant what she said about wanting to take care of them and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

Emma paused for a moment. "I'm really sorry he woke you. Normally he stops screaming once I wake him up."

Mary Margaret's eyes widened. "Normally? You mean this happens often?"

"Only since his dad… only for the past few months. But it's gotten worse over the past couple of nights, we just went through some stuff."

Mary Margaret didn't push for information, for which Emma was grateful, but rather continued making the hot drinks. Henry padded over and Emma helped him up onto a stool. Mary Margaret placed their hot chocolates in front of them with a smile. They were topped with whipped cream and chocolate powder. Emma took a sip and let out a surprised breath. "Cinnamon." She stated.

Mary Margaret glanced up anxiously. "Oh I'm so sorry! I forgot to ask whether you liked it. I'll make you new ones."

"No, we love cinnamon in our hot chocolates, don't we kid?" Henry nodded and grinned at her, much to Emma's relief. "We thought we were the only ones though. What do you say to Ms Blanchard, Henry?"

"Thank you very much," he told her seriously.

"You're very welcome Henry. Anytime you want a hot chocolate let me know, okay?"

"Okay!" He beamed enthusiastically at her.

Emma was relieved that Henry was getting back to his normal, happy self again. Seeing him that afraid while she was helpless to ease his pain had shaken her up pretty badly. Her heart constricted at the thought of her little boy trapped alone in his nightmare.

"I need to use the bathroom," she announced, "I'll be back in a minute Henry."

"Okay mama."

x

Mary Margaret didn't know what it was about Emma Swan and her son that drew her to them. She could feel her heart aching in her chest at the thought of how much hardship they had obviously faced in their lives. The moment she met them in the shopping centre she'd felt an instant connection to them. To the heavily pregnant 22 year old who so clearly had not had an easy life and was perceptibly averse to opening up to anyone, and her adorable four year old son.

Mary Margaret almost cried at the memory of Emma's blatant distrust of anyone offering her help, suspicious of a stranger showing her kindness. What had been done to her? Mary Margaret didn't know what it would have taken for this poor girl to have become so closed off. She winced at the idea of Emma sleeping in the front seat of her car, jammed uncomfortably under the steering wheel and afraid to turn on the heat for the fear of using petrol she couldn't afford while Henry slept in the back.

She also had to swallow past the lump in her throat at the very thought of Emma's apology for Henry's nightmare. She'd said he had them regularly and Mary Margaret had no idea how Emma was managing to cope; young, alone, heavily pregnant, no money, dealing with a small son who was haunted by nightmares and was clearly traumatised by something that had happened to the two them. To top it all off they had barely any belongings except the clothes they wore, a compass, a blanket, and a few photos of them and a young man that Mary Margaret had noticed while searching the duffle bag for the compass.

She looked over at Henry to make sure he was okay. He was still drinking his hot chocolate. Her own cup was still half-full but she had suddenly lost her thirst for the sweet taste. Mary Margaret sighed, remembering how Henry had looked to her this morning when she'd first seen him, skipping happily towards her in clothes that were clearly too small. How eagerly he'd started helping them without even being asked.

When he woke from his nightmare she had hated seeing him so scared, even though she barely knew him. He was such an incredibly sweet, polite young boy that Mary Margaret doubted anyone could not love him instantly.

As if to prove her point Henry looked up at her over his mug and said in a voice that resonated shame, "I'm sorry I woke you, Miss Blanchard."

Her heart melted at his sincere apology.

"Oh, honey, it's okay." She walked over to him and smiled. He wouldn't meet her eyes so she gently tilted his up so he could see her. "I don't mind, sweetheart. I'm glad you woke me."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You don't have to say that, it's alright."

"I _am_ glad, Henry. Do you know why?"

"No. Why?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, curiosity blazing in his eyes.

"So I can stay up all night with you and make sure that you're not alone. And if you do fall asleep again I'm _still_ glad you woke me, because that means I get to watch out for you and protect you from any more bad dreams."

x

Emma came out of the bathroom to find Henry wrapped in Mary Margaret's arms. He was clinging to her neck so tightly that Emma was sure Mary Margaret wouldn't be able to breathe, but she seemed fine with it. In fact she seemed to be holding on just as desperately as he was.

"Do you promise?" She heard Henry whisper.

"I promise you, Henry." Mary Margaret responded earnestly.

They let go of each other and Emma watched as Mary Margaret smiled at Henry, and took his hand.

"Now how about we get you back to bed?" She lead him gently over to the bed which Henry climbed into without complaint, much to Emma's surprise. Emma walked over to them and smiled gratefully at Mary Margaret, who smiled back before lighting a match. For a moment all three watched as it flared to life. Then Mary Margaret lit a candle by the bedside table and shook the match to extinguish it.

"Candles keep the nightmares out," she informed Henry in confidence.

He nodded solemnly at her before slipping further under the cover.

"I'll be on the lounge if you need me," she told him, and moved away so that Emma could say goodnight.

Emma placed a soft kiss on Henry's forehead and swept his silky hair from his eyes.

"Goodnight sweetheart, I love you."

"'Night mama. I like Miss Blanchard." He whispered.

"Me too, kid. Me too."

x

With a sigh Emma returned to the sofa, picking up her half-empty mug of hot chocolate on the way.

Mary Margaret gave her a smile. "You should go back to bed, too. I'll look out for you both."

Emma sat down across from her and clutched her mug in both hands. "Thanks, but I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight regardless. The baby's been restless, by the way it's kicking it's going to be some sort of football superstar."

Mary Margaret chuckled and took a sip from her own hot chocolate. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

Emma hesitated. "I'm not keeping it. I've got no money or job, no family except for Henry, no house! I don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, that's okay. I just need to make the arrangements."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here for a few days to sort everything out." Mary Margaret offered.

"That's really nice but I think we've disturbed you enough. We've only been here a few hours and you've already missed the chance at a good night's sleep."

"I don't mind, Emma. In all honesty it can get kind of lonely here sometimes. You'd be doing me a favour by staying a few more nights and I could help you with the adoption process, so we'd both win. Not to mention Henry will be more comfortable here while you figure out your next move."

Emma thought it over and it wasn't a bad idea. The best thing she could do for Henry was keep him here for a few days while she got everything in order.

"That sounds like a good idea. Thank you."

Mary Margaret beamed at her. "It's honestly no trouble," she paused for a second before adding, "I hope I'm not over stepping, but do have any idea where you want to go once the baby's been adopted?"

Emma thought about it. "Somewhere totally new. Somewhere we've never been before and could start fresh. Boston maybe?"

"Boston sounds nice," was the response.

The two women sat up all night and Emma was shocked at how easy it was to talk to Mary Margaret. She had to keep checking herself so that she didn't reveal too much about her life before coming to Storybrooke with Henry. She couldn't afford to let this lady in, no matter how kind and compassionate she was.

**I actually ended up with a lot more Henry interaction in that chapter than originally planned. No prizes for guessing who the scary dark lady in his dream is (who we'll meet in the next few chapters I might add.)**

**So what do you think? Please let me know what you liked/hated/want to know about it, I really appreciate reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm running out of ways to express to you guys how grateful I am for all your follows and favourites! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, I LOVE your feedback. It's great to know everyone's opinions! For those of you who told me you were missing Neal, this chapter won't disappoint :)**

**A special thanks to naiariddle for the prompt for half of this chapter, I hope I did the idea justice! And also to meresger for asking me questions that really make me think about my story in new ways :) Unfortunately I couldn't fit Ashley into the story just yet, sorry :(**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like it:**

What had he done?

Neal could barely breathe. He had left them, the two people in the world he couldn't live without. How had he thought he could give them up? Let them live their own lives?

He had spent the whole first month driving, not to anywhere in particular. Just trying to escape the fear, the guilt, of abandoning them. Abandoning not only his wife but Henry. His son. The one thing Neal had sworn never to do, no matter what. What the hell was wrong with him?

Neal tried to control his breathing, just like every night. He got up and leant his forehead against the cool glass of the hotel window. It had been almost six months. Half a year. He had survived only by reminding himself that Emma and Henry were better off without him.

He couldn't keep this up. He needed to know. He needed to know that they were happy, and that August was looking after them, had taken them to… wherever this curse was.

God, he was so _stupid_. He hadn't even given the map from August a second thought until he was in Canada. By the time he realised that it must be back at the house there was no way he could go back. It was too late.

He had tried contacting August a thousand times since he had left, but he never answered. Neal suspected that the number was fake or, more likely, from a disposable mobile that August had ditched.

Neal's chest ached at the memory of Emma's hurt expression as he told her he was leaving. He closed his eyes but all he could see was Henry, scared out of his mind as his dad told him how much he loved him. He missed them both so much.

Not for the first time Neal was appalled with himself. Surely he could have done better by them? He had just left. No explanation, no real goodbye to Emma, nothing. They deserved better. He had taken the coward's way out. As noble as his intentions had been there were other ways he could've dealt with the situation.

Neal felt for his phone and attempted to call August, steeling himself for the familiar dialtone to ring out. He let it drop when no one picked up and slammed his head against the windowsill. What was going on? Were Emma and Henry happy?

Neal moved from the window, fists clenched. That was it. If August couldn't return his damn phone calls then Neal would see how they were doing himself. He would go back to the house and if they weren't there and had moved on to this cursed town then he would find them. He would explain why he left and take the consequences. Even if Emma thought he was crazy at least she would know. She would understand why he left. That he truly loved her more than his own happiness, and the only reason he'd left was to give both Emma and Henry a brighter future.

Neal grabbed his keys. He was sick of running and hiding like a coward. He needed to know that they were both happy, and he needed to give them an explanation. He hated himself for going back, for denying Emma the chance to get on with her life and live happily with her family as the Saviour. But he owed her an explanation. A goodbye.

x

"Have you called the adoption agency yet?" Mary Margaret inquired.

She was about to leave for school and Emma guiltily noticed how tired she looked. It had been three days since she had come to Storybrooke and every night Henry would wake them, screaming. Every night they had hot chocolates, Henry went back to sleep, and Emma and Mary Margaret would stay up to watch over him. After that first night they didn't even talk, just sat in companionable silence.

Emma had kept insisting that Mary Margaret go to bed, after all Emma could sleep through the next day while Mary Margaret had to work, but she had refused, saying, "No way am I leaving you two to handle this alone."

"Yeah," Emma answered, "There's one in Vermont that's happy to arrange it. They said they would come to me but in all honesty I'd rather go down there myself next week, wait there to have the kid then head to Boston with Henry. If you don't mind putting up with us for a few more days that is."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Emma. I mean it."

"Thanks but a few days is more than enough," Emma smiled gratefully. She sighed and turned her gaze to the window.

"Why don't you have a look around town today?" Mary Margaret suggested.

"That sounds nice, is there a park or something near here?"

Mary Margaret gave her the directions and picked up a pile of books on the table. She gave Henry a smile as he wandered sleepily out of the bedroom before she headed to the door.

"Remember to call me if you need anything Emma, I'll see you two this afternoon."

Emma said goodbye and moved into the kitchen to pour Henry some cereal.

"Well kid it looks like we're going to the park!"

Henry cheered enthusiastically and Emma laughed.

x

Emma watched as Henry ran in circles around the small park, stopping occasionally to poke at something on the ground or to take a turn on the swing set.

"Henry come and get a sandwich," Emma called. She watched as her son bounded over and plonked himself beside her. He told her all about the ladybug he'd just found for a few minutes, until Emma noticed a young boy Henry's age peering at them through curious green eyes from behind a tree. Henry followed her gaze and stopped talking as he registered the boy. He paused for a moment before beaming at the other kid.

"Hi, I'm Henry!"

The boy came out slowly and stood slightly to the side, as if he wasn't sure if he should talk to them. "I'm Jack," he said shyly.

Emma gave him a friendly smile, trying to put the kid at ease. "Well, Jack, I'm Emma. Would you like a sandwich? It's peanut butter."

Jack paused for a moment before reaching out and accepting it with a quiet "Thank you."

"Excuse me!" A loud, sharp voice rang out and Jack jumped. A professional looking woman charged towards them, glaring angrily at Emma. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Uh, Emma Swan." Emma noticed how perturbed she looked at the name.

"What are you doing in Storybrooke?" The woman said sharply.

"Excuse me?" Emma replied incredulously. What right did this woman have to demand Emma's personal reasons for visiting Storybrooke?

"You heard me. Regina Mills. I am the mayor of this town and I want to know who you are, and where you've been staying because I know for a fact that no one has checked in at Granny's recently."

"That's really not any of your business." Emma said scornfully.

"Oh? You were talking to my _son_. I think it is my business. So I'll ask you again – where are you staying? I only know one idiot in this town who is dumb enough to take you in and if I hadn't met you before today I doubt she would have; she's too busy with her precious 4th graders to have a life," the mayor smirked.

Emma was shocked, and more than a little angry. Had this Regina lady really just insulted Mary Margaret?

Henry pulled on Emma's leg, clearly wanting to get as far away from this woman as possible.

"Look," Emma said warily, "I don't want any trouble. Henry go wait in the car please."

She watched Henry as he climbed into the bug before turning to face the older woman defiantly.

"You haven't answered the question Miss Swan. Unless – you're sleeping in your car?" The mayor gave a derisive laugh and Emma fought back the need to punch her in the face.

"So what if we are? Where my son and I sleep is none of your concern."

"Your son? No, I'm sure you know what's best for him. Living off the streets, with a mother who probably can't even afford him. Doubtless has a dead-beat father who managed to knock you up as a teenager, and again by the looks of it. If you know what's best for you Miss Swan, you will leave this town or I swear to you I will call child services and have that boy taken from you. And let me make this perfectly clear. Stay away from my child. Jack, let's go."

She marched off, leaving Emma to feel like she'd been punched in the gut.

x

_No._ No, no, no, no.

Neal could feel his heart slamming in his chest. He tried to breath in but the air couldn't seem to reach his lungs and he only managed short, shallow gasps.

This couldn't be happening.

He tore his eyes away from the blackened remains of what was once his family's house, fumbled with the car door handle and staggered out into the street. He moved towards the charred remains but he knew he was too late. He stood rigidly in front of the wreckage. A tiny corner of what was once Henry's room was slightly less devastated than the rest of the house, which was all charcoal and ash.

Neal was vaguely aware of the group of children who had gathered behind him, bike tires squealing against the ground, whispers piercing the cold air.

"What's that man doing at the burnt house?"

"Maybe he knew the people in there that died."

Neal's stomach lurched.

"Nobody died, stupid."

"'Course they did, that lady and her little son. Ruth told me."

"Nah, I heard one of them got away."

"No they both burnt up. The woman died in hospital a few hours after the fire. The boy actually died in the house."

"I heard that too, and my dad's a cop. He said that they didn't have any family so it'll just be like they never existed. "

Each line was a knife to Neal's heart.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, this place is creepy."

_I did this, _Neal thought. _If I had been there for them I could have saved them._

He stood outside the ruins for over an hour, tears running silently down his cheeks.

He knew there was nothing more he could do but it didn't stop him from stumbling through the burnt mess. What he was searching for he had no idea. What he really wanted was long gone.

He paused at the remnants of Henry's bed, which was slightly less seared than everything else. With shaky hands he traced the faded dinosaur pattern on the blanket. A small cry caught in his throat and he sank to his knees. He bowed his head, unable to stop the tears from spilling over, and gripped the bed frame with a shaking hand.

He had chosen this when he left them. Neal knew there was no way he could ever forgive himself for causing this. Emma would never get to know her real family. Henry would never get the chance to grow up, to travel the world, to fall in love.

With deep, shuddering breaths Neal stayed there until night started to fall. He dropped his hand from the bed frame and was about to push himself upright when something caught his eye. A glint of gold under Henry's bed. Neal reached out and took the item, drawing his hand back to reveal a slightly charred book. He wiped his hand gently over the cover, the trace of ash clinging to his fingertips, to reveal the title. Peter Pan.

x

"Emma, what's wrong honey? Where are you going?"

Emma grabbed their duffle bag and wrapped Henry in the new coat Mary Margaret had bought him, holding back her tears. No way in hell was she letting that Regina lady take away her son.

"Vermont. I told you the agency is up there. Thank you for having us but we have to go."

"But I thought you were staying for a few more days! Emma what happened?"

"Nothing! Just leave us alone! Thanks for all your help and all that." Emma still felt physically winded from her encounter with the mayor but she pushed past a shocked and slightly hurt Mary Margaret.

She had parked the car a few blocks down, out of sight, in the hopes that Mary Margaret wouldn't see her go. It was cowardly, she knew, but she didn't want to tell this woman who had been nothing but kind to them that she was going. She had planned on leaving a note but Mary Margaret had come back to the apartment at lunch to check on them.

"Goodbye, Mary Margaret."

Emma was pulled into a hug from the teary eyed woman.

"You have my number. Henry, be a good boy for your mom, okay sweetheart?" He nodded and she gave him a tight hug.

"I'll miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you too sweetie but you know where to find me."

Emma gave Mary Margaret a final nod, swallowing past the lump in her throat, took Henry's hand and walked away quickly.

As they continued through the streets Emma became more and more out of breath. They reached the car just as a shooting pain shot through Emma's stomach. She clutched at her swollen belly, concerned.

"Mama?" Henry asked fearfully.

Emma tried to give him a reassuring smile but her face contorted in distress as another pain shot through her. Henry panicked and ran up to her.

"Just – just wait in the car. I'll be fine in a second." She took a few deep breaths and gritted her teeth. She heard Henry cry out to her but she couldn't hear what he said.

She looked up to see him running up the street.

"Henry!"

She tried to go after him but after two steps she was forced to stop and take a breath. She had no idea where Henry had gone but she was praying he was somewhere safe. Her hands jumped to her stomach as another pain hit her and she finally realised what was happening. These were contractions.

**I know Emma was a bit slow on the uptake but she's still kind of shaken up from the Regina thing so we'll cut her some slack. **

**What did you guys think? Of Neal's reaction? Regina's threat? Jack? Emma going into labor? If you're confused about anything or think something's unrealistic please let me know! Thanks guys :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**So sorry for the massive wait! I feel like I'm drowning in school work. You guys are truly lovely, thanks so much for your support and especially your reviews. To **Wool**, a huge thank you :) Your review made my day! **Meresger** I know I normally PM you but I hoped this chapter would answer your question about the bug :) I'm contributing Neal's acceptance of Emma and Henry's death to shock, obviously he's a little out of it at the moment. Also your question about Jack: I figured if Emma never gave Henry up Regina would still have wanted a child and would have gone about getting one the same way she got Henry in the show. **

**Alright guys the chapter you've been waiting for: **

Emma clutched her stomach as another contraction began. Where on earth was Henry? She wasn't sure how long it had been – a few minutes at most – but it felt like an hour. She ignored the water that ran down her legs.

"Emma!" She glanced up to see Mary Margaret rushing towards her, Henry clinging to her hand.

"Henry! Thank goodness, get in the car!" Henry quickly did as he was told, watching her anxiously the whole time.

"The car?" Mary Margaret asked bewildered, "Emma what – why would you need..?"

"We're going to Vermont, I told you."

"You can't be serious!" She reached out for her arm but Emma quickly pushed her away. "Emma you're in labour! I called the ambulance on the way here because Henry didn't know what was going on. They'll be here soon, you're not driving anywhere!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do," Emma hissed at her, "You have no right! Now excuse me while I take my son to Vermont."

Emma moved to open the door handle but she had to stop and take deep breaths as she felt another pain shoot through her.

"I'm not letting you drive like this," Mary Margaret told her firmly.

"You don't understand!" Emma exploded desperately, "I can't have this baby here. I can't! I need this kid to grow up with someone that can give them the very best. Give them everything I can't."

"Okay Emma honey, listen to me. I will call the adoption agency. Didn't you say they told you they could come to you? I will call them, alright? But please, _please,_ let me take you to the hospital. Please." Mary Margaret gazed at her with such a sincere, worried expression that Emma sighed.

"I don't think I have much of a choice."

x

As soon as they arrived at the hospital and Emma was sat in a wheelchair she freaked out. She was going to have a baby. Neal's baby. And Neal _wasn't here_. This was all wrong.

"No. No I can't do this! It's too early, something's really wrong."

Mary Margaret knelt down beside her, took Emma's hand and waved off the nurses. "Emma. You can do this. I know you can."

Emma took a deep breath and nodded shakily.

"What's happening with Henry?" she whispered.

Mary Margaret smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm going to stay with him and call someone I know to look after him. When they get here I'll come and join you, okay?"

"Alright." She managed to choke out, "But I'm - " She broke off. Scared. She couldn't say it though. She didn't think she could handle the look of disappointment that was sure to come from Mary Margaret. Emma just had to stop being so weak. She gave a nod to the nurse and Henry gave her a tight hug.

"I'll be alright, kid. I love you." She pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head as he whispered, "I love you too, mama."

He went to stand by Mary Margaret, who lifted him up into a hug as Emma was wheeled away.

x

Neal smashed his fist repeatedly into the car door. This wasn't fair. This wasn't right. Where the hell was August? Now Neal knew why he hadn't answered any of his calls. The bastard was too cowardly to tell Neal what had happened.

He felt like his head was about to explode. He couldn't think clearly. What had August done? He told Neal that he would watch out for them, protect them. So clearly when he had come to check on them last and found the house destroyed he had run. In the bug no less, Neal supposed bitterly. If only his head would stop pounding.

He had to find August. He'd track him down and get the truth out of him. He wouldn't stop until August admitted he had been wrong. Until he told the whole story. Until Neal got her damn car back.

x

Emma sighed in relief when Mary Margaret came into her room.

"How are you doing sweetie?" She asked gently.

Emma shrugged, knowing that if she spoke she would probably burst into tears.

Mary Margaret seemed to understand and proceeded to fill Emma in on everything she was dying to know but couldn't ask.

"Henry's with Dr Hopper. He's a very responsible man, I promise you Henry's in safe hands. I called the agency and they will be here in a few hours."

"Thank you," Emma managed to choke out.

x

"It's time," the nurse informed her. "You need to start pushing."

Emma clutched Mary Margaret fearfully. "No. I won't. Not now. This is too much."

"Emma, I believe in you," Mary Margaret soothed, "If anyone can do this it's you."

"But I'm scared." Emma admitted, hating herself for sounding so much like a child.

"I know honey, we're all scared. But you don't have to go through this alone. I'll be right beside you the whole time, I promise."

Emma looked her in the eye and could see the sincerity radiating from her. Mary Margaret really wasn't going anywhere and Emma felt as though a weight had been lifted off her chest. For the moment, at least, no one was leaving her to handle things by herself.

"Okay, let's do this."

Emma pushed as much as she could, her voice turning raspy from the amount of the curses she directed at an absent Neal. She fell back and Mary Margaret pushed Emma's hair from her face.

"And again," the nurse commanded. Emma screamed in pain and couldn't hold back the sobs.

"You're really close Emma, just one more push."

Emma gathered up what little strength she had remaining and forced herself to put in everything she had into one final push.

And then there was a cry. A loud cry that rang through the room, and Mary Margaret kissed Emma's forehead. "Well done, sweetheart," she whispered.

The nurse wrapped the baby in a blanket and said, "Congratulations on a perfectly healthy new baby."

Clearly not realising that Emma was putting the baby up for adoption she handed Emma the bundle and turned to leave.

Emma stared, transfixed, at the tiny life in her arms. Her baby girl. Emma gasped in wonder as the baby opened blue-green eyes that matched her mother's.

She was so perfect.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret asked softly, "Do you want me to take her?"

Emma looked up at her with panic-stricken eyes. "I can't. I can't let her go. What happens if she ends up in the same places I did? But if I keep her I'm a terrible person. I can't provide for her. Not even for Henry! But I won't leave her. Not now. She needs me."

Mary Margaret nodded. "You can stay with me. I'll look after you all."

"No, I can't do that! You've already done so much. With a newborn in the house and a terrified four year old that wakes up every night you'll be lucky to get an hour sleep."

Mary Margaret looked at her with such adoration that Emma's breath caught in her throat. "Emma, we've known each other about four days. In those four days of living with you and Henry I've smiled more than I have in the past five years! I would be lucky to have you three in my life, even if that means I don't get a second of sleep. You're right. This little girl needs you. And you need somewhere to stay. No matter what you decide I'll support you, but I would love it if you chose to stay with me."

She gazed at her hopefully and Emma glanced down at the baby girl nestled in her arms. She knew in that moment that she would do anything for this little girl, just as she would do anything for Henry. Not only did she think that Mary Margaret was her best option for keeping both her children she also genuinely wanted to stay with her. She was so sweet, and gentle, and generous that Emma didn't think she could leave without her. She needed Mary Margaret and it terrified her, but it also gave her hope.

She smiled up at her friend. "I guess you better call that agency and tell them my daughter is staying with me."

**As always let me know what you thought! Of course Emma had to keep her, I just couldn't resist dragging you guys along, sorry about that! I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to call the baby but I'm open to suggestions :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**You guys are seriously the best. Thank you all so much, you're the sweetest readers ever :) I'm so sorry for the wait! I have so much school work at the moment I'm finding it difficult to keep up with this story. The same goes for my other story **Catching up **so if any of you guys follow that I really am sorry. I'll try to update it soon but I can't make any promises, I think I'm going to have to take a break from both stories for a few weeks - consider me on hiatus! **

**I couldn't leave you guys without revealing the new baby's name though, that would just be cruel! A huge thank you to everyone who suggested names, they were all awesome :D I have a feeling a few of you won't like the name I've chosen, but I'll explain my reasoning at the end of the chapter.**

**Okay, here goes:**

Mary Margaret smiled as she watched Emma place a loving kiss on her daughter's head. The baby girl had just been cleaned and she lay snugly in her mother's arms.

"She's gorgeous, Emma."

"Yeah," Emma said in wonder, letting the infant wrap her tiny hand around a finger.

"I'm proud of you, honey. You did so well." Mary Margaret said, and she watched as Emma blinked away tears.

Her heart ached at the sight, what had Emma been through that a simple "I'm proud of you" could make her cry? It was as if no one had ever told her that before. Mary Margaret felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her when she was struck by the sudden realisation that maybe no one had. Emma had let slip that she was raised in foster care and hadn't had the best childhood, but surely nobody would be able to treat a little girl with such indifference they couldn't say they were proud of her once in a while?

Her attention snapped back to Emma when she said, "I couldn't have done it without you. You saw me - I tried to bolt. If it weren't for you this baby would probably have been born on the side of the road." They were silent for a moment before Emma asked a question that made Mary Margaret's heart almost beat out of her chest.

"Would you like to hold her?"

"Oh, I don't know Emma," Mary Margaret responded anxiously, "I might drop her!"

Emma snorted. "Are you kidding? If there's anyone I'd trust not to drop my kid, it's you." And without another word she shifted the baby carefully into Mary Margaret's arms.

Mary Margaret gasped at the feeling of the baby's weight in her arms. She gazed down at the little girl, and let a tear roll down her cheek as the baby yawned. "She's perfect," she said to Emma, "Have you thought of a name?"

"Yeah… I like Rosemary. Rosie for short."

"It's lovely. Beautiful. Just like her."

"I guess it fits then," Emma laughed. Mary Margaret smiled warmly and handed the baby gently back to Emma.

"Do you want me to go get Henry?"

Emma nodded gratefully. "Please, that would be great."

Mary Margaret glanced back at the two of them before she left and marvelled at how her family had just quadrupled in size in the space of a few days.

x

Emma watched Mary Margaret go and looked down at her baby in amusement. "Do you think she'll ever catch on that you're named after her? I don't think it's clicked yet." The baby wriggled and Emma gave her another kiss. "It'll be our secret for now, then."

Emma heard small footsteps running down the corridor and braced herself for Henry to come barrelling through the room.

"Mama!" Henry ran up to her and Mary Margaret sat near the door. Emma instantly felt guilty, he was probably terrified the whole time she had been in labour.

"Hey kid! There's someone here I want you to meet." She watched as Henry leaned forward curiously to see the baby, "Henry, this is your little sister Rosie."

Henry let out a breath. "She's kind of… crinkly."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, she is at the moment."

Henry was silent for a minute before he looked up at Emma. "Do we get to keep her?"

Emma was surprised, although she probably should have expected it, after all she hadn't really said much about the baby to him as she was expecting to have to give it up.

"Yep, she's ours Henry. The three of us are going to be staying with Mary Margaret for a while, okay?"

Henry beamed at her. "Okay!"

"And I'm going to need your help," Emma continued, "You're a big brother now, so you always have to look out for Rosie."

Henry nodded solemnly and Emma knew he meant it.

"Thanks kid. There's something else I wanted to ask you. Rosie still needs a middle name, do you want to choose one?"

Henry's face once again split into a grin. He thought for a moment. "How about… Wendy?"

"Sounds nice. Why Wendy though?" Emma asked curiously.

"Like in the story daddy used to read to me. Maybe he can read it to both of us when he finds us."

Emma felt her heart plummet into her stomach at the thought of Neal. What made it ten times worse was Henry's obvious belief that they would all be together again.

"Oh, kid I, um, I don't think he's, I mean," Emma took a deep breath to steady herself. "Sweetie, your dad's not coming to Storybrooke. I know he loves you Henry, he loves you so much, but he doesn't want to be near me. And that's not your fault, alright? That's his loss. He doesn't get to see you, and that's your dad's problem not yours or Rosie's. He chose this."

To her disappointment Henry just shook his head. "He does want to find us, I know it! He just doesn't know where to look. He's coming back for us mama!"

Emma, giving in, gave a watery smile, unable to break his heart. "Sure he is, kid. Sure he is."

x

"Ms Swan, I would like to keep your baby in overnight."

"Why?" Emma was instantly alert. She had been waiting to be released for over an hour. Rosie was being checked in another room, Henry was curled up in Mary Margaret's lap; fast asleep. Mary Margaret shifted Henry slightly so that she could gave Emma's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"She's experiencing some minor breathing difficulties, it's not uncommon among newborns, I wouldn't worry. We're going to take fantastic care of her. If you like we can set up a cot for you so you can be near Rosie tonight."

Emma nodded mutely.

"She'll be fine Emma." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "I'll take Henry home and we'll meet you here tomorrow morning."

"What about your job?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret winked at her. "Don't worry, they owe me a few sick days. I'll just take a few days off."

Emma sighed guiltily. "Sorry. You shouldn't have to do that," she started to say, but Mary Margaret cut her off with a look.

"It's fine. Really."

Emma relaxed a fraction. She knew she didn't have to worry about Henry at least, Mary Margaret would take care of him, but the thought of Rosie having to be kept overnight had Emma almost sick with fear.

"We'll be back in the morning," Mary Margaret promised. "Call me if you need something."

x

Emma had gone for a coffee when she saw them. It was her third that morning and even though the hospital's coffee was probably the worst she had ever tasted it seemed as though she'd developed an addiction.

She knew Mary Margaret and Henry were coming over but it still surprised her when she found them staring into a room two floors above where she and Rosie were staying.

"Hey," she said, coming up behind them. Mary Margaret was clearly startled, she turned quickly, her hand jumping to her throat.

"Emma! We were just coming to see you!"

"I can see that." Emma said, raising an eyebrow. Henry beamed at her and ran over for a hug. She carried him closer to see into the small room they were staring at. She could see a blond haired man hooked up to machines and wires laying in the bed.

"Who's that guy?"

"I don't know," Mary Margaret replied, the tone in her voice making Emma dubious. It seemed as though she was trying to remember something that was just beyond her. Emma studied her face as she watched the man, head cocked to the side. They stood like that a moment longer before Mary Margaret shook her head and glanced at Emma. "John Doe."

"Oh," was Emma's only reply. Henry wriggled in her arms and Mary Margaret seemed to snap back to life.

"Let's go see how our favourite little girl is this morning," she smiled at Henry, who nodded and beamed back at her.

They walked over to the stairs together and Mary Margaret asked how Emma had slept. She just shrugged, unwilling to admit she had not been able to sleep at all, but Mary Margaret watched her with concern, clearly able to interpret the meaning behind the indifferent gesture. Emma was caught off guard – normally she wasn't so easy to read, but this woman seemed to understand everything about her. She chalked up the apparent understanding between them to the stress of having a baby, after all Mary Margaret barely knew her. It would be crazy for anyone to instinctively know another person so well under normal circumstances. Emma convinced herself there was no way such a bond would be formed so quickly if she was her regular self.

When they reached Rosie's room Emma's heart leapt to her throat as she saw the doctor moving towards them. Mary Margaret placed her hand on Emma's arm reassuringly, but looked as though she was having an anxiety attack.

Before either of them could say anything the doctor gave them a wide smile and Emma let out the breath she'd unconsciously been holding.

"Well Ms Swan," the doctor said cheerfully, "It looks like Rosie's ready to go home."

**Alright then! My explanation of Rosemary Wendy Swan. First thing - I know the name doesn't flow very well but I loved the idea of having Wendy as part of her name (thanks Meresger and guest!) because of the connection to Neal, even if Emma doesn't realise how deep a connection it is just yet. **

**A few of you said she should be called Snow and while I loved the idea of the baby being named after her I just could not imagine Emma giving her daughter a name as fairytale-esque as Snow, so I settled for half naming her after her mother (which is where the Mary in Rosemary fits in).**

**I know a lot of you suggested naming her Ruth or Eva but I thought it would be more powerful if she was named after Emma's mother.**

**HarryLovesGinny09 - I LOVE THE NAME ANNABELLE! I really wish I could have chosen that but my arguments for Rosemary won out in the end.**

**The "Mary" part is pretty self-explanatory, and I chose Rose/Rosie for a number of reasons. For starters the superficial - roses symbolise beauty. **

**But I see roses as rather bittersweet, lovely and beautiful yes, but they also have some wicked thorns. For Emma she has this beautiful baby girl and new family and that's wonderful, but she also has to look at Rosie and Henry and see Neal. She has to see the man that she loves in her children everyday, and is going to be reminded of the fact that he abandoned them (in her eyes). And that's going to be so bittersweet for her.**

**Another thing is that Rosemary is a sweet herb, and is very fragrant - it smells just like how I imagine the Enchanted forest would **

**Okay guys, as always let me know what you're thinking. I cannot stress how much your reviews mean to me. I hope the majority of you aren't too disappointed in Rosie's name! I'll update in a few weeks.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Alright everyone I know I should be focusing on school right now but I couldn't help writing this little chapter, I still don't know when I will be back to updating all the time. I don't love this chapter and know it's a bit choppy as it switches viewpoints but I hope you all like it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or favourited :D It means a lot!**

Emma bolted upright in a cold sweat. She glanced over to see Henry sleeping soundly beside her, but her stomach was still clenched in knots. She got up and crept over to the small crib that held Rosie, and a sigh escaped her as she took in the sight of her sleeping daughter. Careful not to wake Rosie, she gently placed a hand on the soft wool of the baby blanket. Emma's baby blanket.

She stroked the purple lettering and suddenly found herself in tears. Watching her daughter… Emma couldn't imagine life without her. She already loved this little girl, as much as she loved Henry. What had been so wrong with Emma that her parents had abandoned her before she was even a few hours old? Had the thought of keeping her been so abhorrent that they couldn't even drop her at the hospital? They had to ditch her the first chance they got.

Emma's silent tears turned into shuddering sobs, and she moved her hand to grip the edge of the cot so that she wouldn't collapse.

"Emma?" Came Mary Margaret's tentative voice from the doorway. "Emma – oh, honey what's wrong?"

Emma shook her head frantically. She stood up and attempted to steady herself by taking deep breaths. She had the indifferent response 'nothing' on her lips, but one look at Mary Margaret and the word dissolved.

"I can't… " Emma choked out.

"It's alright sweetheart," Mary Margaret said kindly, holding out a hand to her. "Let's go downstairs so we don't wake these two."

Emma nodded mutely and allowed herself to be lead into the lounge room.

For a few minutes neither of them said anything. Mary Margaret made them both hot chocolates with cinnamon and wordlessly handed one to Emma, who took it with shaking hands, before coming around to sit in the armchair next to her.

Emma's sobs quietly began to subside.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

When Emma stayed silent Mary Margaret added, "You know you can tell me anything, I promise I won't judge, I just want to help you."

Emma looked down at the mug in her hands and was silent for a few minutes before she began to speak.

"There's a lot about me that I don't like to share. My past is not something I'm proud of," She paused to see if Mary Margaret didn't want her to continue, but the other woman just gazing at her steadily, like she could handle anything Emma could throw at her. And Emma wanted so desperately to let her in, to let this kind-hearted person who had offered her home to a girl with nothing but I car and two young kids take care of all her fears and doubts. She took another deep breath.

"When I was a few hours old a seven-year-old boy found me abandoned by the side of a highway. There was no sign of my parents, and no one ever came to claim me. For years I was tossed around the foster system; I was basically a meal-ticket for most of the people who agreed to let me stay with them… A lot of bad things happened to me – stuff I don't want to get into. I was homeless by time I turned 16. I've always wondered… Did I – was it… my fault?" With that she looked up at Mary Margaret who just watched her sadly, speechless.

Emma inhaled deeply, closing her eyes to steady herself. "I look at Rosie and I think _there must be a reason. _Some explanation as to why my parents didn't even bother to drop me at a hospital. How could anyone just leave their child so alone? Did they realise I would grow up to be failure? Did they somehow know I wasn't worth the effort?"

"Hey, wait a second. Emma you're an incredible person–"

Emma cut her off with a snort. "You don't know that. You'd be saying something different if you knew what I've done."

"It doesn't matter what you've done, that's in the past. All that matters is who you are now, and that is this amazingly strong young woman who will fight tooth and nail for her kids. If your parents could see you now I'm sure they would be so proud, and if not then they certainly didn't deserve you."

X

Neal's hand shook as he picked up the scrap of paper with a number scrawled on it. He'd been searching desperately for August for three months and he had finally found a phone number. It wasn't much but Neal had never been as adept at finding people as Emma. At the thought of Emma Neal had to force himself not to fall apart. He needed to be prepared for what August had to say for himself. He jabbed the number into the phone and clenched his fists by his side as it rang. Once. Twice. Three times, and then a voice. "Hello?"

Neal felt a wave of anger roll over him and the calm, collected questions he'd planned to say dissipated.

"Why didn't you take care of them August?" He growled.

"Who is this?"

"You made me a promise. You told me Emma would be happy, and Henry would have a better life. _You promised me that they would be safe."_

"Neal? How did you get this number?"

"Answer the damn question August, why didn't you keep your word? Why did I have to find out from a bunch of kids that my wife and son are… are…" He broke off and said in a hoarse whisper, "Were you ever going to even _tell me_ that they had died?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone before August responded, "Neal, give me a week. I'll call back and explain everything." And then he hung up.

Neal stared at his phone in disbelief. That hadn't gone at all to plan. He chucked the mobile on his bed in disgust and buried his head in his hands.

x

August's head was reeling. Emma and Henry dead? How could this have happened? He felt his stomach drop to his feet as he was hit with the sudden realisation that without a saviour his father would be cursed forever.

He had told Neal that he would explain everything in a week, but he was just buying time. What was he going to say, I'm sorry your family is dead because I ran away? _Well,_ he thought, _if I'm going to have to crush him I might as well know the whole story. _

x

After four days August had arrived in Storybrooke. He had visited the burnt out shell that was Neal and Emma's old house. The strange thing was there was no record of Emma and Henry's death. He knew that they'd been living under the last name Pariter, but there was absolutely no trace of them, no death certificates, bodies, new addresses – nothing. August was elated when he finally understood; somehow they had found their way to Storybrooke. He supposed Neal would have drawn the same conclusions had he looked into the situation deeper, but he had probably channelled his grief into tracking down August instead of digging up the painful memories that looking into his family's deaths would surely bring.

August drove through the small town searching for Emma. He was about to give up when he saw the yellow bug parked outside a small apartment block. He quickly pulled over to figure out what his next move was. Should he confront Emma and confess everything? Should he tell her about the curse now, or was it too soon? Before he could make his mind up the door to the building swung open and a four year old boy came barrelling out.

"Henry!" A woman's voice laughed, "You forgot your coat!"

A woman with cropped short black hair stepped outside carrying a black jacket in her arms and August gasped. He would recognise her anywhere, even though it had been 22 years since he'd last seen her, and back then she'd had long hair. Snow White.

Snow bundled Henry up and took his hand, before turning and calling something that August couldn't make out to someone inside. This Snow White seemed different to the one he had know as a boy – much more reserved, with none of her former kick-ass vibe. She was a whole different person.

Emma appeared through the doorway and August tensed as he saw that she was carrying something carefully in her arms. He sucked in a breath as the bundle moved and his worst suspicions were confirmed. It was a baby. Emma had been pregnant when he'd convinced Neal to leave.

"… should've brought the stroller," He heard Emma say.

"I'll race up and get it for you if you want," the queen offered. Emma just shook her head.

"Nah it's okay, we're not going that far. Do you mind holding her for a few minutes though?"

"Of course," Snow answered warmly. August watched, stunned, as Emma gave the baby a soft kiss on the top of her head and passed her gently to Snow.

"Thanks Mary Margaret," Emma said gratefully. _Huh,_ August thought, _interesting name, your majesty._

"Henry what are you doing?"

The boy was poking at something on the ground, but whipped around at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Nothing mama!"

"Uh huh," Emma said sceptically. "So what's in your hand then?"

Henry grinned cheekily at her and opened his hand to show her. "A penny. It's going to give me good luck."

"I think you should test that theory Henry," Mary Margaret said, a glint of mischief in her eyes. Maybe the old Snow White was there somewhere, buried deep, certainly, but not lost.

Emma gave her a questioning look and Mary Margaret laughed. "Maybe you should have a race!"

Emma groaned as Henry leapt around her squealing, "A race! A race!"

"Alright, fine. To that tree over there and back."

They positioned themselves and Mary Margaret called out, "Ready? Set? Go!"

August watched in amusement as Henry flew past Emma to the tree. He managed to keep ahead of her as they raced back as well, although August strongly suspected that Emma wasn't trying to win. When they finished Henry jumped up and down in excitement, exclaiming "It works!". Emma smiled and lifted him up, then she and Mary Margaret started to walk. August watched as the four of them turned a corner, still shocked by what he had just seen. But now he knew what needed to be done, and it wasn't good news for Neal.

**Sorry about the cliffhanger! Please let me know what you thought - good or bad I don't mind, I just appreciate the feedback :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**So I thought this story was well overdue for an update! I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting all the time, especially considering how sweet and wonderful you all are to me, but I'm entering my final 2 months of school! So really I should be studying, but I know you all have been uber patient, which I'm so grateful for. I should be able to get another chapter up in the next few weeks but don't hold me to it! After school's done I'll be able to devote more time :) Thank you for all the support, favs, follows, reviews, and patience!**

Previously: _August watched as the four of them turned a corner, still shocked by what he had just seen. But now he knew what needed to be done, and it wasn't good news for Neal._

"I'd like a room please," August said to the old lady, Granny, he assumed, at the bed and breakfast. She gave him a wary look.

"Square or forest view? And how long will you be staying for?" She asked briskly, raising an eyebrow. Geez, for a hotel receptionist she was kind of fierce.

He ignored her suspicious glare and answered smoothly, "Square please, and just one night."

She handed him the key and he thanked her before heading to his room. Once there he dumped his bag on the bed and took out the typewriter he'd brought with him. He started writing straight away, knowing he'd probably be up all night working.

He couldn't stop thinking about how happy they'd looked. Especially Emma! She had finally found her mother, and had seemed perfectly content with her new life, although August thought the baby was a bit of a surprise. But he was sure Emma could handle it - she _was_ the saviour - and seeing the queen, her daughter, and her grandkids so happy August was sure of what he had to do next. He had to let Emma discover her family and build friendships with the rest of the town before she was told of the curse and her destiny. Otherwise she might run away. It was what Emma and Neal were used to doing after all. Damn, he still needed something to tell Neal. If he let the man know that Emma and Henry were safe he would be overjoyed, but August knew if Neal found out his family was alive he wouldn't stop searching until he'd found them and told Emma the truth. Then what would happen if they left together? Or if Emma thought he was crazy and abandoned the town? August couldn't let it happen – his father's life was at stake!

No, what Emma needed was to be with her family and gradually come to the realization that something was wrong with this town and its inhabitants. Once she accepted that, she would be able break the curse. She needed the next five years to prepare herself, even if she didn't know it.

x

"This has got to stop, it can't be healthy." Emma warned Mary Margaret as they entered the diner. Henry immediately ran over to a free booth and plonked himself down, looking expectantly at the two women. They joined him as Mary Margaret replied, "I know but I just can't help it! He's just so alone, and there's something about him…"

"He's in a coma! You've visited him every day for the past three months! It's like an addiction!"

"Not addiction so much as… a pull. Just something telling me I need to be there when he wakes." She shifted Rosie gently in her arms.

Emma took in her hopeful expression and she felt heartbroken for her friend.

"Come on, he's not waking up any time soon. I don't want to see you get hurt. Just… I don't know, take the visits down to once a week maybe?"

Mary Margaret nodded slowly. "Okay," she agreed mournfully.

"Miss Blanchard, could I have a hot chocolate pretty please?"

Mary Margaret smiled at the pleading look Henry was directing at her. "Of course you can sweetheart, as long as you stop calling me Miss Blanchard, Mary Margaret is fine."

The four year old attempted to say 'Mary Margaret' but the resulting sound was so garbled that Emma burst into laughter.

"Hmm," Mary Margaret said, attempting to hide her own smile, "Maybe not."

Henry looked at her, confused, and then at his mother, who was in absolute hysterics.

"Say it… again baby. Please…" she said between great gulps of air.

Henry once again attempted the name and this time even Mary Margaret could do nothing but giggle uncontrollably.

Emma, in tears, leant over and kissed Henry's forehead.

"Okay, okay," She managed to choke out after a few minutes. "We need a nickname or something 'cause I'm gonna lose it if he says that again."

Mary Margaret took a breath and tried to compose herself. "Definitely. Aunty M?"

Emma nodded. "I think he can probably manage that. What do you think Henry?"

"How about Granma?" He exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, I don't think so kid. Miss Blanchard probably doesn't –"

"What makes you say that Henry?" Mary Margaret interrupted.

"You make us hot chocolates and you let me wake you up when I have bad dreams and you look after me and Rosie and mama! Isn't that what Granma's do?"

Mary Margaret looked over at Emma, speechless.

"I wouldn't know." Was Emma's bewildered response. "I don't mind if he calls you that though, as long as you're okay with it. I mean we're only, what? Six years apart?"

"No, no, that's fine," Mary Margaret hurriedly assured her. She turned to Henry. "I would be honoured to be your Granma."

Henry beamed at her and Ruby approached the table.

"Sorry guys we're so busy today I haven't had a chance to breathe yet!"

"Do you need an extra hand?" Emma inquired. "It's just I'm looking for a job now that Rosie is three months and I've waitressed before. The only thing is I'd need to bring the kids to work."

"Sorry Emma, but we don't have enough money to hire someone new. Plus we're not usually this busy."

"That's okay, just thought I'd ask," Emma said with a smile, "Three hot chocolates with cinnamon please."

"Coming right up!" Ruby gave her an apologetic smile as she left.

"Emma I'll be right back, I'm just going to talk to Dr Hopper – he looks a bit worried today." Mary Margaret excused herself, and handed Rosie over to Emma.

Emma took her and smiled down at the little girl in her arms.

"You know I couldn't help overhearing that you need a job." She looked up to find the sheriff standing by their booth. "It just so happens that there's a deputy spot open, if you'd like. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to have these two at the station while you worked."

"Me? A deputy?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Why not? No one else around here needs a job, and a sheriff's got to have a deputy, right?" Graham winked.

"Well, if you don't mind having the kids around that'd be great."

He winked again. "Start on Monday?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

"No problem, deputy."

x

It was time for August to leave. He'd finished his project, a leather-bound book entitled "Once Upon a Time", which he left in the classroom of Mary Margaret Blanchard. He supposed he shouldn't have been shocked to discover that she was a teacher in this world – what better way for the Evil Queen to cause pain than by surrounding Snow White with all children except her own?

He figured she would take the book home to Emma eventually, although he knew it probably wouldn't happen for a few years, and that's when the curse would start to break.

The hardest thing was going to be calling Neal. With a sigh he pulled out his phone. No point delaying the inevitable. August reasoned that things would work out in the end, after all Neal only had to wait a few years and then he'd be reunited with his family. He was doing this for the greater good.

Neal answered on the first ring.

"August?"

"Neal. I… I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"Sorry?! I waited a week for you to tell me you're sorry? You said you'd be there for them! What the hell happened, August?"

"I left them for one night," he lied, "I thought everything would be fine but Emma left the oven on and the house caught fire. By the time I got there… it was too late."

"Why would you leave them? I trusted you! I trusted you with the two most important people in the world and you let them–"

There was a pause and August heard him take a breath.

"Why? Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I'm sorry, Neal. I would have met you face-to-face but…"_ but I didn't know, _he finished in his head. _I was in Phuket._

"But you're a coward." Neal spat on the other end. August couldn't argue with him. "Where's the Bug, August?"

"The what?"

"The car! Emma's –" he broke off. "The car you took with you when you found out that they had died."

Crap! He'd forgotten about the car!

"You don't need it, Neal."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT I NEED," Neal yelled into the phone.

"I'm sorry, Neal. But you need to move on. Forget about this. I'm sorry."

He hung up abruptly to Neal's outraged cry of "FORGET ABOUT – ?!"

With an exhausted sigh August buried his face in his hands. He had to go. He'd screwed up so many times he would only make more of a mess if he stayed here and began interfering with Emma's new life in Storybrooke. He needed to move on and escape from everything, but he vowed to come back for his father in a few years when the curse was finally broken. Maybe then this nightmare would end.

**Well there you have it. I didn't really like this chapter, and I'm really not liking August at the moment! I hope you all enjoyed it, though. Please let me know what you think! You know I adore hearing from you :) **

**(Also I'm really sorry EevyLynn - you guessed it)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for bearing with me guys :) All the follows, favs, and reviews truly mean a lot. **

**Just to clarify: in this story because Emma's already arrived in Storybrooke the curse is slightly weakened - enough for small things to happen, like people have started to age again. **

**As for those worried about Neal *evil laughter*, but don't stress too much. I've got a plan.**

**Time jumps a bit in this chapter and the next one I'm planning, just so you all know :)**

Emma smiled as she looked in the rear-view mirror at her children. Her one year old daughter was amusing herself by sucking on her fist and Henry was nervously swinging his legs against the seat.

"You'll be fine Henry," Emma assured him. "You'll like school, I know you will, and Mary Margaret will be right next door if you need her."

Henry just nodded and gazed anxiously out the window. Emma suppressed a sigh. He'd been so excited about school for weeks, proudly showing off his school uniform to Mary Margaret, asking Emma what colour would be the best for his pencil case and talking to Rosie about how much fun it would be, but now that it was here he seemed much more withdrawn than usual.

Emma pulled up in the carpark and got out to help Henry with his bag, which was almost as big as he was but only contained his lunch and pencil case.

"Got everything?"

He nodded silently before looking up at her with huge eyes. "What if no one likes me?"

Emma knelt down in front of him. "Just be yourself Henry. I'm sure you'll have plenty of friends, but if you can't find anyone you like don't worry too much. You'll always have us, you hear? Besides everyone else is just as nervous as you, trust me."

Henry smiled at her, a real smile this time, and Emma's heart ached at how much he looked like Neal. She pushed the thought of Neal aside to deal with later, but her chest remained tight.

"Alright kid, have fun okay? I love you."

"I love you too mama! Bye!" He called, as he rushed off to where Mary Margaret was standing in the playground, having gone to school early to supervise the children there before the bell. She gave Emma a wave and turned to talk to Henry and a group of young girls who were playing clapping games.

Emma pulled out of the spot saying, "Looks like it's just you and me, munchkin," to Rosie.

"What should we do before we go into work?"

x

"Hey," Graham greeted them. "How was Henry?"

"Nervous," Emma responded, placing Rosie in the playpen they had set up in the corner of the station.

"Hey princess!" Graham cooed at the little girl. "Your poor big brother! He'll be fine though."

Emma wasn't sure whether this was directed at her or Rosie so she kept quiet.

Graham grinned over at her and said, "I was just about to start the report on Leroy – he was causing a bit of trouble again last night - but I didn't feel like doing paperwork so I left the file for you to fill out."

"Wow, how generous of you." Emma responded sarcastically.

"Well, you know me. Generosity is my middle name."

"You tell yourself that, Humbert."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "I will."

Emma laughed at his scrunched up face and nodded to Rosie, "You're a bigger baby than she is!"

"What, this kid? You sure she really is a baby? I mean, she's way too quiet to be yours. Maybe she's an alien!"

Emma laughed, "Yeah I don't know how she's so perfectly behaved all the time. She sure as hell didn't get that from me or –"

Damn. Twice in one day. Usually Neal was pushed to the back of her mind, but today she just couldn't get him out of her head.

Graham had turned to play peek-a-boo with Rosie to cover up the awkward silence following Emma's last words.

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you go home and I'll watch Rosie for a few hours? Enjoy some time off without having to worry about the kids for once."

"Thanks Graham, you're a lifesaver." Over the past few months Emma had really started to rely on the sheriff. Besides Mary Margaret, he was the closest friend she had and the two of them often joked around that they were brother and sister, always playing pranks and teasing each other. Emma felt perfectly safe leaving Rosie in his hands, and she knew that both Henry and her daughter adored their honorary 'uncle'.

She left quickly and managed to keep her mind off Neal until she got into the apartment. She collapsed on the couch and let her mind wander to thoughts she usually kept locked away. How much Henry had looked like Neal this morning when he smiled at her, how Neal used to joke about never letting Henry go to school and keeping him at home with them, how much he would miss of Henry's childhood, and that he would never get to know their daughter.

She remembered when Henry's first word was "mama", and how Neal had smirked when Emma gloated that it wasn't "dada" and said, "Just you wait Em, the next kid up will be saying "dada" from the day they're born." And how, even though she was proud, she couldn't help feeling a little heartbroken when Rosie's first word was "gamma", due, no doubt, to Henry's constant use of the word granma.

Emma tried to take deep breaths but ended up sobbing. She couldn't stop it so she simply curled up on the couch and let herself be engulfed by her grief. She was still crying when the phone rang.

Hastily attempting to pull herself together enough to answer it she swiped her face and sat up. She picked up the phone and managed a small, "Hello?"

"Hey, just giving you the recess update you ordered," she heard Mary Margaret chuckle on the other end.

"Oh, uh, right, how is he?" She asked shakily.

"Emma honey, are you okay? You sound like you've been crying."

"Yeah, um, no, I'm – I'm fine." Emma said, cursing internally as her voice broke on 'fine'. She gulped and added, "How's he doing?" before Mary Margaret could comment.

"He's doing really well, I can already see he's found a few friends. Sweetheart, are you sure you're alright?"

Emma attempted a nonchalant "yeah" but she could tell her friend wasn't convinced.

"Is this because Henry's starting school?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It's just – something stupid. I'm fine, really."

"Well, if you're sure." Mary Margaret said uncertainly. "Call if you need anything."

"Will do." Emma lied, and hung up. She got up and moved to the bedroom, deciding that crying wasn't helping anything and that maybe cleaning up the house would distract her from any more thoughts of Neal.

x

Mary Margaret put the phone down, worry nagging at her stomach. Something was upsetting Emma; despite the young woman's assurances that she was okay Mary Margaret could tell she'd been crying, and she was well aware that it would take something major to bring Emma Swan to tears. So, after a brief moment of indecision, she walked over to the neighbouring classroom where Miss Tally was eating her recess and asked her if she could watch Mary Margaret's class for the rest of the day.

The other teacher assured her that it wouldn't be a problem so with a grateful smile Mary Margaret headed to the office to inform them, then back to the apartment.

She found Emma curled up on Henry's bed, his compass clutched in her hand.

"Hey," she said softly, and Emma jerked upright.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" She asked anxiously, and Mary Margaret didn't miss the rawness in her voice.

"You sounded pretty upset, I thought you might need me. The school was okay with it once they knew it was a family emergency."

She saw Emma start at the word 'family' and refrained from leaping over and hugging her. Even after a year of living with the young woman and her two children, even after breaking down so many of Emma's walls the blonde still had days where she seemed to forget just how much she was loved. It broke Mary Margaret's heart a fraction to realise that maybe Emma would never see how much she meant to so many people and, even more than that, that she truly did deserve to be happy.

Instead of wrapping her arms around her friend like she wanted to, Mary Margaret settled for joining her on the bed, and they both stared up at the ceiling. She knew Emma would open up sooner or later.

It only took about 5 minutes before Emma said, "Sometimes I just miss him so much."

"Who? Henry? You know he's only at school, right?"

"No, not Henry." She said, sounding slightly exasperated, "His father."

"Oh." Was Mary Margaret's surprised response. It wasn't often that Emma mentioned her past, and even rarer that she brought up the father of her children. Mary Margaret didn't even know the man's name! She had never pressed Emma for details and all she knew was that something had happened just before Emma had come to Storybrooke, pregnant and with Henry in tow.

"This was his," Emma said sadly, holding up the compass to the light. "The last thing he gave to Henry before leaving us. I wish… I wish I understood how he could just walk out on us like that. I thought he loved me. I know he loved Henry. So how come he abandoned us? I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him." She turned so that she was looking at Mary Margaret. "And the worst part is that I think Henry is still waiting for him. The kid really believes his dad is trying to get back to us, and I can't tell him the truth because it'll break his heart. I know he's not trying to find us because I came here to find him."

"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret asked gently.

"Storybrooke. I only came here because this place was circled on a map that fell out of his pocket. But he's not here, he's not looking for us, and he's missing so much."

They lay in silence for a few minutes before Emma gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry about dumping all that on you."

"No problem. You know I really don't mind. Anytime you need to talk, I'm here."

"I know." Mary Margaret heard the smile in her friend's voice. "Thanks."

x

"Hey!" Mary Margaret called from the kitchen, "Catch her!"

Emma swung around in time to see a streak of blonde hair fly past her legs, quickly followed by her son.

"Almost got her Granma!"

Emma watched in amusement as an almost naked Rosie ran circles around the sofa dripping bathwater all over the floor, chased by her big brother. Mary Margaret stood at the foot of the stairs with a towel, poised to catch her should the three year old attempt to run past.

"Mom!"

Henry yelled and Emma turned in time to snatch the giggling toddler into her arms.

"Gotcha!" She said with a grin, and Rosie just laughed some more.

"Good one mom! I thought we were going to have to spend all night chasing her."

Emma passed Rosie over to her roommate, who immediately started drying the little girl off, and draped an arm around her son.

"I'm sure you would have had her in no time kid. After all, you've got my cat-like reflexes. Now go to bed."

Henry just laughed and kissed her.

"Goodnight mom. Night Granma, night Rosie."

"Goodnight sweetheart," Mary Margaret called as he climbed into bed. In her arms Rosie yawned and closed her eyes, leaning against Mary Margaret.

She moved past Emma, obviously intending to tuck the toddler in, and paused long enough for Emma to press a kiss to the top of her daughter's soft, blonde curls. Mary Margaret mouthed a 'goodnight' and Emma went to make herself her third hot chocolate for the night.

**Ending on a light note because I don't know when I'll get the chance to update. Thanks for always sticking with me, please feel free to comment!**


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